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Objective Recent studies have suggested that high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) may be useful for detecting subclinical atherosclerosis and assessing cardiovascular disease risk. The aim of this study was to investigate whether serum hs-cTnT is associated with the degree of coronary artery calcification. Methods We measured serum hs-cTnT concentrations and performed multidetector row coronary CT in 215 consecutive, stable patients with clinical suspicion of coronary artery disease. Nonenhanced coronary CT was performed to determine the coronary calcium score, and contrast-enhanced coronary CT was performed to identify obstructive coronary artery disease. We then evaluated the relationship between serum hs-cTnT concentrations and the degree of coronary calcium or obstructive coronary artery disease using multiple regression analysis and logistic regression models. Results Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that serum hs-cTnT concentrations and calcium score were independently associated after logarithmic transformation ( β = 0.348; P < .0001). Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that serum hs-cTnT concentration was associated with an increased odds of an Agatston score >10 (odds ratio, 1.250; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.150–1.378), an Agatston Score >400 (odds ratio, 1.101; 95% CI, 1.054–1.157), and obstructive coronary artery disease (odds ratio, 1.119; 95% CI, 1.066–1.185). Conclusion Serum hs-cTnT is associated with coronary calcium in individuals with suspected coronary disease and may therefore be a marker to detect subclinical atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrahepatic lymphatic invasion is an adverse prognostic factor after hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases (CLMs). However, most patients in previous reports had liver resection before the era of FOLFOX/FIRI-based chemotherapy. Forty-six patients who underwent hepatectomy for CLMs from 2004 to 2020 were evaluated. We histologically evaluated portal invasion, intrahepatic lymphatic invasion, and biliary invasion on hematoxylin-eosin slides. We also collected the following clinicopathologic factors: gender, age, timing, the number and maximum size of CLMs, preoperative tumor markers, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, location, and lymph node metastases of primary cancer, and chemotherapy after hepatectomy. A multivariate Cox proportional hazard model was used to define the relationship between overall (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS) and clinicopathologic factors. Histological invasions were portal invasion in 8 (17.4 %), intrahepatic lymphatic invasion in 6 (13.0 %), and biliary invasion in 5 (10.9 %). Chemotherapy for recurrence after hepatectomy (n = 29) was performed in 22 and 14 of those who received FOLFOX/FIRI-based chemotherapy. By multivariate analysis, the number of CLMs (p < 0. 01) and presence of intrahepatic lymphatic invasion (p = 0.02) were independent predictors of recurrence. The number of CLMs (p = 0.02) and prehepatectomy carcinoembryonic antigen level (p = 0.02), but not intrahepatic lymphatic invasion (p = 0.18), were independent predictors of survival using multivariate analysis. The presence of intrahepatic lymphatic invasion adversely affected patient's DFS, but not OS in patients with CLMs in the era of FOLFOX/FIRI chemotherapy. FOLFOX/FIRI-based chemotherapy might improve OS, even in patients with positive intrahepatic lymphatic invasion. • Metastatic liver tumor from colorectal cancer may invade into intrahepatic lymphatics • Intrahepatic lymphatic invasion is an adverse prognostic factor after hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases • Most patients in previous reports had liver resection before the era of FOLFOX/FIRI-based chemotherapy • FOLFOX/FIRI-based chemotherapy might improve OS, even in patients with positive intrahepatic lymphatic invasion [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: Bilirubin has been recognized as an important endogeneous antioxidant. Previous studies reported that bilirubin could prevent atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate if serum bilirubin concentration could be a predictor for the development of albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods: We measured serum bilirubin in 320 consecutive patients with normoalbuminuria. We performed follow-up study to assess the development of albuminuria, mean interval of which was 3.2±0.9years. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine the relationship between serum bilirubin concentration and the development of albuminuria. Results: During follow-up duration, 43 patients have developed albuminuria. In multivariate analysis, after adjusting for comprehensive risk factors, the risk of developing albuminuria was higher in the lowest quartile of serum bilirubin concentrations than that in the highest quartile of serum bilirubin concentrations (Hazard ratio, 5.76; 95% CI, 1.65 to 24.93). Conclusions: Low serum bilirubin concentration could be a novel risk factor for the development of albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A series of NiMoS catalysts supported on USY-zeolite coated with different amounts of alumina were prepared and evaluated for deep hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of gas oil using a flow reactor system in single- and dual-bed configurations. The performance of these catalysts was compared to the conventional HDS catalyst as well as to NiMoS catalyst supported on physical mixture of alumina and USY-zeolite. Physically mixed alumina and USY zeolite showed high HDS activity, but it was accompanied with significant cracking of hydrocarbons. Activity and kinetic analysis showed that heavy coating of alumina on the zeolite resulted in much lower HDS and cracking activity. On the other hand, very light coating of alumina on the zeolite resulted in catalytic behavior similar to that of physical mixture of USY-zeolite and alumina. The general trend was an increase in HDS as well as hydrocracking activity with the decrease in amount of alumina coating over zeolite. Changes in product density, aromatic content, mid-boiling point, cetane index, and molecular weight also reflected this trend. The results of this study indicate that catalysts with neither too low nor too high amount of alumina coating on the USY zeolite are suitable to achieve the balance between high HDS and low cracking activities. The highlight of the present study is that it confirmed the deep HDS activity of USY containing alumina supports in the flow reactor system which is industrially applied. In addition, the stability test confirmed the long-term performance of alumina-coated zeolite catalyst. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Alumina-silica-supported NiMoS composites were examined in single- and dual-layer catalyst beds in a high-pressure (5MPa) flow reactor to achieve ultra low sulfur (10ppm) diesel fuels. Three types of alumina-silica composite supports were prepared by co-precipitation to control the particle size and arrangement of alumina and silica. The SiO2 content was found to be influential on catalytic performance, being best by around 27% regardless of preparation conditions. Alumina crystal size controlled the acidity and surface area of the support, key factors influencing catalytic performance. NiMoASA-2(27), prepared by procedure 2, achieved 4.5 and 3ppmS at 345 and 360°C, respectively, in the single bed reactor at a liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) of 1h−1. NiMoASA-2(27) achieved the best performance of the supports examined in this study. The double-layer catalyst bed contained commercial CoMoS (LX6) and NiMoASA-2(27) in the first and the second beds at 345 and 360°C, respectively, and achieved 5 and 2ppmS, indicating better performance at higher temperatures. The reaction order for the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of refractory sulfur species was close to unity over NiMoASA-2(27), which was significantly higher than that of the commercial CoMoS catalyst. Alumina-silica-supported NiMoS in the second bed of the dual-layer catalyst bed achieved less than 10ppmS for refractory sulfur species with around 500ppmS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: New π-conjugated polymers with dibenzo[d,d′]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]difuran (DBBDF) unit in the main chains were synthesized. Copolymerization of 6,12-diiodo-DBBDF with p-diethynylbenzene or 2,7-diethynylfluorene derivative under Sonogashira–Hagiwara coupling-reaction condition gave the corresponding copolymer. The resulting copolymers were soluble in organic solvents such as tetrahydrofuran and chloroform. In UV–vis absorption spectra, both copolymers showed red-shifted spectra compared to their monomer units. In the chloroform solutions, the copolymer with DBBDF and p-diethynylbenzene units showed yellowish-green emission, while the copolymer with DBBDF and 2,7-diethynylfluorene units did greenish-blue emission. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: There are many useful colloidal drug delivery systems that use liposomes. The rigidity of the carrier particle is one of the most important properties affecting drug delivery effectiveness, assessed by particle stability, release profile of encapsulated drug, and blood circulation time. However, it is difficult to evaluate the rigidity of such fine particles; so far, no useful methods have been reported. We demonstrate a unique method to evaluate the rigidity of liposomes using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) in this report. We showed that the combination of two types of particle-size measurements, tapping mode AFM in buffer solution with another conventional method such as DLS, is useful for evaluating the rigidity of submicron-size particles such as liposomes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a polymer coating using modified polyvinyl alcohol (PVA-R) on the interaction between liposomes and macrophage cells (J774 cells). The PVA-R-coated liposomes, which were labeled with 1,1′-dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindocarbocianin perchlorate (DiI) as a fluorescence reagent, were prepared with the conventional hydration method followed by extrusion and surface modification with PVA-R. The effects of polymer coating on the interaction with J774 cells were evaluated by using flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). When liposomes with or without PVA-R coating were incubated with J744 cells, the fluorescence emission intensity of DiI from J774 cells was significantly smaller than in the case of non-coated liposomes. This result indicates that decreased interaction of PVA-R-coated liposomes with macrophage cells could be well detected using flow cytometry and CLSM. These in vitro tests explained the differences in blood circulation of polymer-coated liposomes having different lipid formulations in rats. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A 68-year-old woman was admitted to the authors'' hospital for hepatic encephalopathy. Her laboratory data and computed tomography findings were not suggestive of liver cirrhosis. Superior mesenteric angiography revealed an extrahepatic portal-systemic shunt with a main cause of hepatic encephalopathy. Despite treatment with branched-chain amino acid, lactulose, and kanamycin, hyperammonemia was prolonged, and the portal-systemic shunt was therefore treated with balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration. After the procedure, hyperammonemia was improved, and there were no signs of recurrent portal-systemic encephalopathy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: High inhibitory effects of hybrid liposomes (HL) themselves composed of DMPC/10mol% C12(EO)23 on the growth of HL-60 cells were obtained without any drug. Induction of apoptosis was obtained by the HL of DMPC/10mol% C12(EO)23. On the other hand, necrosis was observed for the HL of DLPC/10mol% C12(EO)23. In the case of DPPC/10mol% C12(EO)23, neither apoptosis nor necrosis was observed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Specific accumulation and growth inhibitory effects of hybrid liposomes composed of 90 mol% dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine and 10 mol% polyoxyethylene(23)dodecyl ether were obtained in human hepatoma cells without affecting normal liver cells at all. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]