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trans-Anethole (anethole), a major component of anise oil, has a broad antimicrobial spectrum with antimicrobial activity relatively weaker than those of well-known antibiotics, and significantly enhances the antifungal activity of polygodial and dodecanol against the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. However, the antifungal mechanism of anethole is unresolved. Anethole demonstrated antifungal activity against the filamentous fungus, Mucor mucedo IFO 7684, accompanied by hyphal morphological changes such as swollen hyphae at the tips. Its minimum growth inhibitory concentration was 0.625 mm. A hyperosmotic condition (1.2 m sorbitol) restricted the induction of morphological changes, while hypoosmotic treatment (distilled water) induced bursting of hyphal tips and leakage of cytoplasmic constituents. Furthermore, anethole dose-dependently inhibited chitin synthase (CHS) activity in permeabilized hyphae in an uncompetitive manner. These results suggest that the morphological changes of M. mucedo could be explained by the fragility of cell walls caused by CHS inhibition. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Background: The efficacy of thoracoscopic radical esophagectomy for cancer of the thoracic esophagus and the learning curve required have yet to be clearly established. Methods: Eighty treatment-naive patients with esophageal cancer without contiguous spread underwent esophageal mobilization and extensive mediastinal lymphadenectomy through a 5-cm minithoracotomy and four trocar ports. The outcomes in the first 34 patients (group 1) and the last 46 patients (group 2) were compared. Results: There were no differences in background or clinicopathologic factors between the two groups. The duration of the thoracoscopic procedure and blood loss were less (p

Background: The efficacy of thoracoscopic radical esophagectomy for cancer has yet to be established, mainly because previous reports have not included a sufficient number of cases. Methods: Seventy-five treatment-naive patients with esophageal cancer without contiguous spread underwent esophageal mobilization and extensive mediastinal lymphadenectomy through a 5-cm mini-thoracotomy and four trocar ports. Results: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was performed without major intraoperative complications or emergency conversion to open surgery. We retrieved 34.1±13.0 mediastinal nodes, including 11.5±3.8 tracheobronchial nodes and 6.2±3.0 recurrent laryngeal nodes. Mean time of operation and blood loss were less in the last 39 patients than the first 36 (186.7±25.3 min and 165.4±101.8 g vs 270. 2±96.0 min and 421.5±31.2 g, respectively: p

The seasonal cycle of water storage of each of the 70 major river basins of the world is evaluated by means of basin-atmosphere water budgets. The atmospheric data of National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Reanalysis is used together with river runoff data. In the tropics and in the temperate zone of East Asia, storage becomes largest at the end of the rainy season and smallest at the beginning of the rainy season. In the cold region and in the temperate zone of North America, storage becomes largest in spring and smallest in summer or autumn. The global sum of storage becomes largest in spring of the northern hemisphere, when the contribution of the northern cold region and the southern tropics coincide.

We retrospectively studied autologous blood transfusion in 65 cases of hip and knee arthroplasty. The cases consisted of 10 males and 45 females whose age ranged from 34 to 81, with an average age of 61.3 years.Autologous blood was preserved by liquid, and in 35 cases, Erythropoietin (EPO) was intravenously administrated 3 times a week.We have been performing autologous blood transfusion on patients treated with hip and knee arthroplasty since 1990, and the method allows us to avoid homologous transfusion in 88.9% of our patients.

Eight knees with patellofemoral disorders following total knee arthroplasty had patellar revision surgery including proximal realignment of the extensor mechanism using the Insall procedure. The primary prosthesis was the Miller-Galante 1 (MG1) in seven knees and the Press Fit Condylar in one. Patellar dislocation occurred in three knees, patellar subluxation in two, patellar lateralization in two and patellar fractures in one. The MG1 prosthesis in four knees (2 subluxation and 2 lateralization), the metal-backed patellar implants failed because polyethylene wear or fracture exposed the metal backing.Revision of a failed patellar prosthesis is difficult. Complications occurred in three of the eight patients. There was a patellar fracture in two patients and patellar subluxation in one.With the current use of total condylar prosthesis that have improved design and instrumentation, patellofemoral complications following total knee arthroplasty can be best avoided by meticulous operative technique.

trans-Anethole (anethole), a major component of anise oil, has a broad antimicrobial spectrum with antimicrobial activity relatively weaker than those of well-known antibiotics, and significantly enhances the antifungal activity of polygodial and dodecanol against the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. However, the antifungal mechanism of anethole is unresolved. Anethole demonstrated antifungal activity against the filamentous fungus, Mucor mucedo IFO 7684, accompanied by hyphal morphological changes such as swollen hyphae at the tips. Its minimum growth inhibitory concentration was 0.625 mM. A hyperosmotic condition (1.2 M sorbitol) restricted the induction of morphological changes, while hypoosmotic treatment (distilled water) induced bursting of hyphal tips and leakage of cytoplasmic constituents. Furthermore, anethole dose-dependently inhibited chitin synthase (CHS) activity in permeabilized hyphae in an uncompetitive manner. These results suggest that the morphological changes of M. mucedo could be explained by the fragility of cell walls caused by CHS inhibition.

A zinc(II) complex with 1-(3-(p-toluensulfonamido)propyl)-1,5,9-triazacycloundecane («tosylamidopropyl[12]aneN 3 », L 2 ), has been synthesized as a model for sulfonamide inhibition of carbonic anhydrase (CA). X-ray crystal structure analysis showed a distorted tetrahedral structure.

A zinc(II) complex with 1-(3-(p-toluensulfonamido)propyl)-1,5,9-triazacycloundecane («tosylamidopropyl[12]aneN 3 », L 2 ), has been synthesized as a model for sulfonamide inhibition of carbonic anhydrase (CA). X-ray crystal structure analysis showed a distorted tetrahedral structure.

Between January 1996 and December 1998, we treated 76 cases of trochanteric femoral fracture. The patients included 16 males and 60 females, with a mean age of 82 years. 22 cases with stable fracture were treated using a compression hip screw (CHS), and the other 54 cases with unstable fracture were treated using an intramedullary hip screw (IMHS). As post operative complications, osteomyelitis occurred in 2 cases after IMHS. They were delayed infections, occurring approximately at 5 months and at 15 months after IMHS. For treatment, we performed removal of the implant, curettage of the focus, closed continuous irrigation, followed by general infusion of antibiotics. In one case, the organism was Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and in another case, the organism was Acinetobacter calcoaceticus in laboratory cultures. The case with MRSA additionally underwent local irrigation and hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) therapy because the wound was dehiscent and a marrow cavity in the femur was exposed. A split-thickness skin graft was performed after filling up the dead space with granulation tissue. 2 cases were successfully treated.

We present an unusual case of a benign esophagobronchial fistula caused by radiotherapy to treat esophageal carcinoma which was closed successfully. A 62-year-old man with superficial squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus underwent radiotherapy, including 60 Gy externally and 10 Gy intraluminally from January to March 1995. Esophagography revealed a fistula between the esophagus and left main stem bronchus on January 14, 1996. No residual cancer existed. Neither stenting with a silicone tube nor with a covered flexible metallic stent occluded the fistula. Thoracic esophagectomy, closure of the esophagobronchial fistula using a 2-cm nubbin of esophageal wall, surrounding the orifice of the fistula and antesternal gastric pull-through reconstruction with mediastinal lymphadenectomy were performed. The postoperative course was uneventful and there is no evidence of recurrence of the fistula or the cancer 5 years postoperatively. Radiotherapy may cause esophagobronchial fistula even in cases of superficial esophageal cancer. Bypass surgery should be considered because stenting is not effective for benign fistula without stricture.

Improved understanding of how esophageal cancer behaves following curative resection, including knowledge of other causes of death, is essential for informed decision making. The medical records of 246 consecutive patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus who had undergone esophagectomy and lymphadenectomy of the neck, chest, and abdomen that was deemed macroscopically curative, were reviewed. Patients who had had other malignancies or anticancer treatment were excluded. Median follow-up period was 1289 days (minimum, 730 days). The initial patterns of recurrence were classified as intramediastinal, hematogenous, or lymphatic. Forty-two patients died of a cause other than recurrence. The in-hospital death rate was 3.6%, and 19 patients died of pulmonary disease. Sixteen patients developed a second primary, most of which were in the upper aerodigestive tract; five of those patients died. Ninety-eight patients developed recurrence. Depth of invasion and number of nodal metastases predicted recurrence. The pattern of recurrence was intra-mediastinal, lymphatic, and hematogenous in 11, 21, and 67 patients, respectively. The patients with lymphatic recurrence survived longer than the patients with either of the other types of recurrences. Eighty-three percent of recurrences presented within 24 months. The time-to-recurrence correlated with survival after recurrence. The disease recurred earlier in patients with advanced stage than unadvanced disease at the time of esophagectomy. The time-to-recurrence, and anticancer therapy after the recurrence related to the survival. Meticulous care must be taken to detect hematogenous recurrence as early as possible so that adjuvant therapy may be started. Maintaining a good performance status permits the use of aggressive therapy should there be a recurrence. Pulmonary physiotherapy and treatment of metachronous primary tumors may improve overall survival.

The patient was a 78-year-old man. Gastric cancer, type 3, was diagnosed by endoscopy in the subtotal stomach used for posterior mediastinal reconstruction after resection of thoracic esophageal cancer. Surgery was not considered to be feasible in this case because of cerebral infarction and decreased pulmonary functions; instead, the patient received TS-1 chemotherapy. Drug administration was started at the dose of 100 mg/day, one level lower than the standard dose of TS-1. Reduction in tumor size was noted endoscopically during the first course of treatment. At the end of the 4th course of treatment, the ulcerous lesion was found to have disappeared almost completely, and only mild mural irregularity was noted. The incidence of gastric cancer in the stomach tissue used for mediastinal reconstruction after esophagectomy has been reported to be 0.8%. In many of these cases, the cancer is already advanced at the time of diagnosis, precluding surgical resection. In this situation, chemotherapy with TS-1 is expected to be an effective method of treatment that can be administered at home in elderly patients with a variety of complications.