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Abstract Background After esophagectomy for esophageal and esophagogastric cancer, more than half of patients have lost > 10% of their body weight at 12 months. In most cases, the gastric remnant is used for reconstruction after esophagectomy. One of the most serious nutritional complications of this technique is delayed gastric emptying caused by gastric remnant mobilization and denervation of the vagus nerve. The aim of the PYloroplasty versus No Intervention in GAstric REmnant REconstruction after Oesophagectomy (PYNI-GAREREO) trial is to analyze the clinical outcome of modified Horsley pyloroplasty (mH-P) as a method of preventing delayed gastric emptying. Methods The PYNI-GAREREO trial is designed as an open randomized, single-center superiority trial. Patients will be randomly allocated to undergo gastric remnant reconstruction with mH-P (intervention group) or no intervention (control group) in parallel groups. All patients with esophageal cancer or esophagogastric cancer planning to undergo curative minimally invasive esophagectomy will be considered for inclusion. A total of 140 patients will be included in the study and randomized between the groups in a 1:1 ratio. The primary outcome is the body weight change at 6 months postoperatively, and the secondary outcomes are the nutritional status, postoperative complications, functional outcome, and quality of life until 1 year postoperatively. Discussion We hypothesize that mH-P after minimally invasive esophagectomy more effectively maintains patients’ nutritional status than no pyloroplasty. Trial registration UMIN Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000045104. Registered on 25 August 2021. https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000051346 .

The contribution of the magnetic field to the formation of high-mass stars is poorly understood. We report the high angular resolution (∼0.″3, 870 au) map of the magnetic field projected on the plane of the sky ( B _POS ) toward the high-mass star-forming region G333.46−0.16 (G333), obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array at 1.2 mm as part of the Magnetic fields in Massive star-forming Regions survey. The B _POS morphology found in this region is consistent with a canonical “hourglass” with an embedded flattened envelope in a perpendicular direction, which suggests a dynamically important field. This region is fragmented into two protostars that appear to be gravitationally bound in a stable binary system with a separation of ∼1740 au. Interestingly, by analyzing H ^13 CO ^+ ( J = 3–2) line emission, we find no velocity gradient over the extent of the continuum, which is consistent with a strong field. We model the B _POS , obtaining a marginally supercritical mass-to-flux ratio of 1.43, suggesting an initially strongly magnetized environment. Based on the Davis–Chandrasekhar–Fermi method, the magnetic field strength toward G333 is estimated to be 5.7 mG. The absence of strong rotation and outflows toward the central region of G333 suggests strong magnetic braking, consistent with a highly magnetized environment. Our study shows that despite being a strong regulator, the magnetic energy fails to prevent the process of fragmentation, as revealed by the formation of the two protostars in the central region.

Abstract Background Spontaneous retroperitoneal hematoma is defined as bleeding in the retroperitoneal space without any triggers such as trauma, invasive procedures, and abdominal aortic aneurysm. Case presentation A 48-year-old Japanese man who experienced sudden abdominal pain, severe hypotension, and decreased hemoglobin was diagnosed with spontaneous retroperitoneal hematoma. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed massive left retroperitoneal hematoma; however, neither extravasation nor causative aneurysm was noted. Through conservative management with close monitoring, he was treated and discharged on the tenth hospital day without any morbidity. Conclusions Spontaneous retroperitoneal hematoma treatment comprises conservative management, transcatheter arterial embolization, and surgical intervention. The mortality rate of spontaneous retroperitoneal hematoma is so high that the optimal treatment timing needs to be carefully judged on the basis of detailed evaluation, and management algorithm with clear criteria.

Fragmentation contributes to the formation and evolution of stars. Observationally, high-mass stars are known to form multiple-star systems, preferentially in cluster environments. Theoretically, Jeans instability has been suggested to determine characteristic fragmentation scales, and thermal or turbulent motion in the parental gas clump mainly contributes to the instability. To search for such a characteristic fragmentation scale, we have analyzed Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 1.33 mm continuum observations toward 30 high-mass star-forming clumps taken by the Digging into the Interior of Hot Cores with ALMA survey. We have identified 573 cores using the dendrogram algorithm and measured the separation of cores by using the Minimum Spanning Tree technique. The core separation corrected by projection effects has a distribution peaked around 5800 au. In order to remove biases produced by different distances and sensitivities, we further smooth the images to a common physical scale and perform completeness tests. Our careful analysis finds a characteristic fragmentation scale of ∼7000 au, comparable to the thermal Jeans length of the clumps. We conclude that thermal Jeans fragmentation plays a dominant role in determining the clump fragmentation in high-mass star-forming regions, without the need to invoke turbulent Jeans fragmentation.

Filamentary structures are ubiquitously found in high-mass star-forming clouds. To investigate the relationship between filaments and star formation, we carry out the INFANT (Investigations of Massive Filaments and Sar Formation) survey, a multiscale, multiwavelength survey of massive filamentary clouds with Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) band 3/band 6 and Very Large Array K band. In this first paper, we present the ALMA band 6 continuum observations toward a sample of eight high-mass star-forming filaments. We covered each target with an approximately rectangular mosaic field of view with two 12 m array configurations, achieving an angular resolution of ∼0.″6 (2700 au at 4.5 kpc) and a continuum rms of ∼0.1 mJy beam ^−1 (∼0.06 M _⊙ in gas mass assuming 15 K). We identify cores using the getsf and astrodendro and find the former is more robust in terms of both identification and measuring flux densities. We identify in total 183 dense cores (15–36 cores in each cloud) and classify their star formation states via outflow and warm gas tracers. The protostellar cores are statistically more massive than the prestellar cores, possibly indicating further accretion onto cores after the formation of protostars. For the high-mass end ( ${M}_{\mathrm{core}}$ > 1.5 M _⊙ ) of the core mass function (CMF) we derive a power-law index of −1.15 ± 0.12 for the whole sample and −1.70 ± 0.25 for the prestellar population. We also find a steepening trend in CMF with cloud evolution (−0.89 ± 0.15 for the young group versus. −1.44 ± 0.25 for the evolved group) and discuss its implications for cluster formation.

Fragmentation during the early stages of high-mass star formation is crucial for understanding the formation of high-mass clusters. We investigated fragmentation within 39 high-mass star-forming clumps as part of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Survey of 70 μ m Dark High-mass Clumps in Early Stages (ASHES) survey. Considering projection effects, we have estimated core separations for 839 cores identified from the continuum emission and found mean values between 0.08 and 0.32 pc within each clump. We find compatibility of the observed core separations and masses with the thermal Jeans length and mass, respectively. We also present subclump structures revealed by the 7 m array continuum emission. Comparison of the Jeans parameters using clump and subclump densities with the separation and masses of gravitationally bound cores suggests that they can be explained by clump fragmentation, implying the simultaneous formation of subclumps and cores within rather than a step-by-step hierarchical fragmentation. The number of cores in each clump positively correlates with the clump surface density and the number expected from the thermal Jeans fragmentation. We also find that the higher the fraction of protostellar cores, the larger the dynamic range of the core mass, implying that the cores are growing in mass as the clump evolves. The ASHES sample exhibits various fragmentation patterns: aligned, scattered, clustered, and subclustered. Using the ${ \mathcal Q }$ -parameter, which can help distinguish between centrally condensed and subclustered spatial core distributions, we finally find that in the early evolutionary stages of high-mass star formation, cores tend to follow a subclustered distribution.

Dense core collisions, previously regarded as minor in star formation, are proposed to play a significant role in structure formation around protostellar envelopes and binary formation. Using archival data of nearby star-forming regions, we determine the frequencies of core collisions. Our calculations reveal that a typical core is likely to undergo multiple interactions with other cores throughout its lifetime. To further investigate the core collision process, we employ adaptive mesh refinement hydrodynamic simulations with sink particles. Our simulations demonstrate that following the formation of a protostar within a gravitationally unstable core, the merging core’s accreting gas gives rise to a rotationally supported circumstellar disk. Meanwhile, the region compressed by the shock between the cores develops into asymmetric arms that connect with the disk. Gas along these arms tends to migrate inward, ultimately falling toward the protostar. One of the arms, a remnant of the shock-compressed region, dominates over the second core gas, potentially exhibiting a distinct chemical composition. This is consistent with recent findings of large-scale streamers around protostars. Additionally, we found that collisions with velocities of ∼1.5 km s ^−1 result in the formation of a binary system, as evidenced by the emergence of a sink particle within the dense section of the shocked layer. Overall, dense core collisions are highlighted as a critical process in creating 10 ^3 au-scale streamers around protostellar systems and binary stars.

Massive infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) are considered to host the earliest stages of high-mass star formation. In particular, 70 μ m dark IRDCs are the colder and more quiescent clouds. At a scale of about 5000 au using formaldehyde (H _2 CO) emission, we investigate the kinetic temperature of dense cores in 12 IRDCs obtained from the pilot Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Survey of 70 μ m dark High-mass clumps in Early Stages (ASHES). Compared to the 1.3 mm dust continuum and other molecular lines, such as C ^18 O and deuterated species, we find that H _2 CO is mainly sensitive to low-velocity outflow components rather than to quiescent gas expected in the early phases of star formation. The kinetic temperatures of these components range from 26 to 300 K. The Mach number reaches about 15 with an average value of about 4, suggesting that the velocity distribution of gas traced by H _2 CO is significantly influenced by a supersonic nonthermal component. In addition, we detect warm line emission from HC _3 N and OCS in 14 protostellar cores, which requires high excitation temperatures ( E _u / k ∼ 100 K). These results show that some of the embedded cores in the ASHES fields are in an advanced evolutionary stage, previously unexpected for 70 μ m dark IRDCs.

We report 850 μ m continuum polarization observations toward the filamentary high-mass star-forming region NGC 2264, taken as part of the B -fields In STar forming Regions Observations large program on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. These data reveal a well-structured nonuniform magnetic field in the NGC 2264C and 2264D regions with a prevailing orientation around 30° from north to east. Field strength estimates and a virial analysis of the major clumps indicate that NGC 2264C is globally dominated by gravity, while in 2264D, magnetic, gravitational, and kinetic energies are roughly balanced. We present an analysis scheme that utilizes the locally resolved magnetic field structures, together with the locally measured gravitational vector field and the extracted filamentary network. From this, we infer statistical trends showing that this network consists of two main groups of filaments oriented approximately perpendicular to one another. Additionally, gravity shows one dominating converging direction that is roughly perpendicular to one of the filament orientations, which is suggestive of mass accretion along this direction. Beyond these statistical trends, we identify two types of filaments. The type I filament is perpendicular to the magnetic field with local gravity transitioning from parallel to perpendicular to the magnetic field from the outside to the filament ridge. The type II filament is parallel to the magnetic field and local gravity. We interpret these two types of filaments as originating from the competition between radial collapsing, driven by filament self-gravity, and longitudinal collapsing, driven by the region's global gravity.

Abstract Background Replaced right hepatic artery (rRHA) is a common vascular variation, and combined resection of this vessel is sometimes needed for the curative resection of pancreatic head malignancy. Safe surgical management has not been established, and there is a small number of reported cases. Here, we reported five cases, wherein preoperative embolization of rRHA was performed for combined resection. Case presentation All patients had pancreatic head malignancies that were in contact with rRHA. We performed a preoperative embolization of the rRHA before the scheduled pancreaticoduodenectomy for the combined resection. Arterial embolization was safely accomplished, and the communicating arcade from the left hepatic artery via the hilar plate was clearly revealed in all cases. Four patients underwent the operative procedure, except for one patient who had liver metastasis at laparotomy. No patient suffered from a severe abnormal liver function during the management; however, one patient had multiple liver infarctions during the postoperative course. Conclusions Preoperative embolization for the combined resection of rRHA in pancreaticoduodenectomy can be a management option for the precise evaluation of hemodynamics after sacrificing rRHA. In our cases, arterial flow to the right liver lobe was supplied by the left hepatic artery via the bypass route, including the communicating arcade of the hilar plate.

We observed the high-mass star-forming core G336.01–0.82 at 1.3 mm and 0.″05 (∼150 au) angular resolution with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) as part of the Digging into the Interior of Hot Cores with ALMA survey. These high-resolution observations reveal two spiral streamers feeding a circumstellar disk at opposite sides in great detail. Molecular line emission from CH _3 OH shows velocity gradients along the streamers consistent with infall. Similarly, a flattened envelope model with rotation and infall implies a mass larger than 10 M _☉ for the central source and a centrifugal barrier of 300 au. The location of the centrifugal barrier is consistent with local peaks in the continuum emission. We argue that gas brought by the spiral streamers is accumulating at the centrifugal barrier, which can result in future accretion burst events. A total high infall rate of ∼4 × 10 ^−4 M _☉ yr ^−1 is derived by matching models to the observed velocity gradient along the streamers. Their contribution accounts for 20%–50% the global infall rate of the core, indicating streamers play an important role in the formation of high-mass stars.

Aim Non‐occlusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI) is a fatal condition with a low survival rate in most cases. The risk factors for perioperative mortality in NOMI cases are unclear. The purpose of this study was to define the risk factors for mortality in patients with NOMI undergoing surgery. Methods Thirty‐eight consecutive patients who underwent surgery for NOMI at Teine Keijinkai Hospital between 2012 and 2020 were included in the study. Patient information, including age, sex, physical findings, comorbidities, laboratory data, and computed tomography and surgical findings were retrospectively analyzed. Results Of the 38 patients, 18 (47%) died before discharge. Significant univariate predictors of mortality were a high Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, high lactate level, low blood pH, and short intestinal length after surgery. In the multivariate analysis, a high SOFA score (odds ratio 1.33, P = 0.036) and short intestine length after surgery (odds ratio 34.7, P = 0.003) were identified as independent risk factors for perioperative mortality. Conclusion The preoperative SOFA score and postoperative residual intestinal length may be predictors of death in NOMI surgical patients, not age and the content of comorbidities.

Purpose: Sarcopenia is closely associated with postoperative prognosis in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery. Growth differentiation factor (GDF)-15 is involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. We examined the relationship between the serum GDF-15 concentration and muscle function in patients receiving aortic valve replacement and healthy elderly subjects. Methods: Forty-three female patients undergoing aortic valve surgery (79.9 ± 6.4 years; transcatheter aortic valve replacement [TAVR] n = 19, conventional surgical aortic valve replacement [SAVR] n = 24) and 64 healthy elderly female subjects (75.9 ± 6.1 years) were included. Walking speed, grip strength, and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) by a multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analyzer were measured to determine the presence of sarcopenia. Preoperative serum GDF-15 concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The GDF-15 level was higher in patients receiving aortic valve replacement than in healthy elderly subjects (aortic valve replacement: 1624 ± 1186 pg/mL vs. healthy: 955 ± 368 pg/mL, p

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the body mass index (BMI) and the short-term outcomes of laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG). Subjects and Methods: Data of patients who underwent LTG for gastric cancer at six institutions between 2004 and 2018 were retrospectively collected. The patients were classified into three groups: low BMI (

We conducted isothermal magnetohydrodynamics simulations with self-gravity to investigate the properties of dense cores in cluster-forming clumps. Two different setups were explored: a single rotating clump and colliding clumps. We focused on determining the extent to which the rotation and magnetic field of the parental clump are inherited by the formed dense cores. Our statistical analysis revealed that the alignment between the angular momentum of dense cores, ${{\boldsymbol{L}}}_{\mathrm{core}}$ , and the rotational axis of the clump is influenced by the strength of turbulence and the simulation setup. In single rotating clumps, we found that ${{\boldsymbol{L}}}_{\mathrm{core}}$ tends to align with the clump’s rotational axis if the initial turbulence is weak. In colliding clumps, however, this alignment does not occur, regardless of the initial turbulence strength. This misalignment in colliding clumps is due to the induced turbulence from the collision and the isotropic gas inflow into dense cores. Our analysis of colliding clumps also revealed that the magnetic field globally bends along the shock-compressed layer, and the mean magnetic field of dense cores, ${{\boldsymbol{B}}}_{\mathrm{core}}$ , aligns with it. Both in single rotating clumps and colliding clumps, we found that the angle between ${{\boldsymbol{B}}}_{\mathrm{core}}$ and ${{\boldsymbol{L}}}_{\mathrm{core}}$ is generally random, regardless of the clump properties. We also analyzed the dynamical states of the formed cores and found a higher proportion of unbound cores in colliding clumps. In addition, the contribution of rotational energy was only approximately 5% of the gravitational energy, regardless of the model parameters for both single and colliding cases.

We present observations of polarized dust emission at 850 μ m from the L43 molecular cloud, which sits in the Ophiuchus cloud complex. The data were taken using SCUBA-2/POL-2 on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope as a part of the BISTRO large program. L43 is a dense ( ${N}_{{{\rm{H}}}_{2}}\sim {10}^{22}$ –10 ^23 cm ^−2 ) complex molecular cloud with a submillimeter-bright starless core and two protostellar sources. There appears to be an evolutionary gradient along the isolated filament that L43 is embedded within, with the most evolved source closest to the Sco OB2 association. One of the protostars drives a CO outflow that has created a cavity to the southeast. We see a magnetic field that appears to be aligned with the cavity walls of the outflow, suggesting interaction with the outflow. We also find a magnetic field strength of up to ∼160 ± 30 μ G in the main starless core and up to ∼90 ± 40 μ G in the more diffuse, extended region. These field strengths give magnetically super- and subcritical values, respectively, and both are found to be roughly trans-Alfvénic. We also present a new method of data reduction for these denser but fainter objects like starless cores.

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Band 3 data toward five massive young stellar objects (MYSOs), and investigate relationships between unsaturated carbon-chain species and saturated complex organic molecules (COMs). An HC _5 N ( J = 35–34) line has been detected from three MYSOs, where nitrogen (N)-bearing COMs (CH _2 CHCN and CH _3 CH _2 CN) have been detected. The HC _5 N spatial distributions show compact features and match with a methanol (CH _3 OH) line with an upper-state energy around 300 K, which should trace hot cores. The hot regions are more extended around the MYSOs where N-bearing COMs and HC _5 N have been detected compared to two MYSOs without these molecular lines, while there are no clear differences in the bolometric luminosity and temperature. We run chemical simulations of hot-core models with a warm-up stage, and compare with the observational results. The observed abundances of HC _5 N and COMs show good agreements with the model at the hot-core stage with temperatures above 160 K. These results indicate that carbon-chain chemistry around the MYSOs cannot be reproduced by warm carbon-chain chemistry, and a new type of carbon-chain chemistry occurs in hot regions around MYSOs.

The initial conditions found in infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) provide insights on how high-mass stars and stellar clusters form. We have conducted high-angular resolution and high-sensitivity observations toward thirty-nine massive IRDC clumps, which have been mosaicked using the 12 and 7 m arrays from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. The targets are 70 μ m dark massive (220–4900 M _⊙ ), dense (>10 ^4 cm ^−3 ), and cold (∼10–20 K) clumps located at distances between 2 and 6 kpc. We identify an unprecedented number of 839 cores, with masses between 0.05 and 81 M _⊙ using 1.3 mm dust continuum emission. About 55% of the cores are low-mass (

We have analyzed the NH _2 CHO, HNCO, H _2 CO, and CH _3 CN ( ^13 CH _3 CN) molecular lines at an angular resolution of ∼0.″3 obtained by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Band 6 toward 30 high-mass star-forming regions. The NH _2 CHO emission has been detected in 23 regions, while the other species have been detected toward 29 regions. A total of 44 hot molecular cores (HMCs) have been identified using the moment 0 maps of the CH _3 CN line. The fractional abundances of the four species have been derived at each HMC. In order to investigate pure chemical relationships, we have conducted a partial correlation test to exclude the effect of temperature. Strong positive correlations between NH _2 CHO and HNCO ( ρ = 0.89) and between NH _2 CHO and H _2 CO (0.84) have been found. These strong correlations indicate their direct chemical links; dual-cyclic hydrogen addition and abstraction reactions between HNCO and NH _2 CHO and gas-phase formation of NH _2 CHO from H _2 CO. Chemical models including these reactions can reproduce the observed abundances in our target sources.

We present dynamical properties of 294 cores embedded in twelve IRDCs observed as part of the ASHES Survey. Protostellar cores have higher gas masses, surface densities, column densities, and volume densities than prestellar cores, indicating core mass growth from the prestellar to the protostellar phase. We find that ∼80% of cores with virial parameter ( α ) measurements are gravitationally bound ( α < 2). We also find an anticorrelation between the mass and the virial parameter of cores, with massive cores having on average lower virial parameters. Protostellar cores are more gravitationally bound than prestellar cores, with an average virial parameter of 1.2 and 1.5, respectively. The observed nonthermal velocity dispersion (from N _2 D ^+ or DCO ^+ ) is consistent with simulations in which turbulence is continuously injected, whereas the core-to-core velocity dispersion is neither in agreement with driven nor decaying turbulence simulations. We find a not significant increment in the line velocity dispersion from prestellar to protostellar cores, suggesting that the dense gas within the core traced by these deuterated molecules is not yet severely affected by turbulence injected from outflow activity at the early evolutionary stages traced in ASHES. The most massive cores are strongly self-gravitating and have greater surface density, Mach number, and velocity dispersion than cores with lower masses. Dense cores do not have significant velocity shifts relative to their low-density envelopes, suggesting that dense cores are comoving with their envelopes. We conclude that the observed core properties are more in line with the predictions of clump-fed scenarios rather than with those of core-fed scenarios.

We study the H ii regions associated with the NGC 6334 molecular cloud observed in the submillimeter and taken as part of the B -fields In STar-forming Region Observations Survey. In particular, we investigate the polarization patterns and magnetic field morphologies associated with these H ii regions. Through polarization pattern and pressure calculation analyses, several of these bubbles indicate that the gas and magnetic field lines have been pushed away from the bubble, toward an almost tangential (to the bubble) magnetic field morphology. In the densest part of NGC 6334, where the magnetic field morphology is similar to an hourglass, the polarization observations do not exhibit observable impact from H ii regions. We detect two nested radial polarization patterns in a bubble to the south of NGC 6334 that correspond to the previously observed bipolar structure in this bubble. Finally, using the results of this study, we present steps (incorporating computer vision; circular Hough transform) that can be used in future studies to identify bubbles that have physically impacted magnetic field lines.

The mass distribution of dense cores is a potential key to understanding the process of star formation. Applying dendrogram analysis to the CARMA-NRO Orion C ^18 O ( J = 1–0) data, we identify 2342 dense cores, about 22% of which have virial ratios smaller than 2 and can be classified as gravitationally bound cores. The derived core mass function (CMF) for bound starless cores that are not associate with protostars has a slope similar to Salpeter’s initial mass function (IMF) for the mass range above 1 M _⊙ , with a peak at ∼0.1 M _⊙ . We divide the cloud into four parts based on decl., OMC-1/2/3, OMC-4/5, L1641N/V380 Ori, and L1641C, and derive the CMFs in these regions. We find that starless cores with masses greater than 10 M _⊙ exist only in OMC-1/2/3, whereas the CMFs in OMC-4/5, L1641N, and L1641C are truncated at around 5–10 M _⊙ . From the number ratio of bound starless cores and Class II objects in each subregion, the lifetime of bound starless cores is estimated to be 5–30 freefall times, consistent with previous studies for other regions. In addition, we discuss core growth by mass accretion from the surrounding cloud material to explain the coincidence of peak masses between IMFs and CMFs. The mass accretion rate required for doubling the core mass within a core lifetime is larger than that of Bondi–Hoyle accretion by a factor of order 2. This implies that more dynamical accretion processes are required to grow cores.

We present BISTRO Survey 850 μ m dust emission polarization observations of the L1495A-B10 region of the Taurus molecular cloud, taken at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT). We observe a roughly triangular network of dense filaments. We detect nine of the dense starless cores embedded within these filaments in polarization, finding that the plane-of-sky orientation of the core-scale magnetic field lies roughly perpendicular to the filaments in almost all cases. We also find that the large-scale magnetic field orientation measured by Planck is not correlated with any of the core or filament structures, except in the case of the lowest-density core. We propose a scenario for early prestellar evolution that is both an extension to, and consistent with, previous models, introducing an additional evolutionary transitional stage between field-dominated and matter-dominated evolution, observed here for the first time. In this scenario, the cloud collapses first to a sheet-like structure. Uniquely, we appear to be seeing this sheet almost face on. The sheet fragments into filaments, which in turn form cores. However, the material must reach a certain critical density before the evolution changes from being field dominated to being matter dominated. We measure the sheet surface density and the magnetic field strength at that transition for the first time and show consistency with an analytical prediction that had previously gone untested for over 50 yr.

The effects of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) agonist, on cultured human cardiac fibroblasts were examined by measuring intracellular Ca2+ concentration [Ca2+]i and whole-cell voltage clamp techniques. AITC (200 μM) increased Ca2+ entry in the presence of [Ca2+]i. Ruthenium red (RR) (30 μM), and La3+ (0.5 mM), a general cation channel blocker, inhibited AITC-induced Ca2+ entry. Under the patch pipette filled with Cs+- and EGTA-solution, AITC induced the current of a reversal potential (Er) of approximately +0 mV. When extracellular Na+ ion was changed by NMDG+, the inward current activated by AITC was markedly reduced. La3+ and RR inhibited the AITC-induced current. The conventional RT-PCR analysis, Western blot, and immunocytochemical studies showed TRPA1 mRNA and protein expression. The present study shows the first evidence for functional Ca2+-permeable nonselective cation currents induced by AITC, possibly via TRPA1 in human cardiac fibroblast.

Purpose: Anemia and sarcopenia associated with renal dysfunction caused by cytokine imbalance can contribute to decreased quality of life for older individuals. Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) is associated with renal dysfunction, although whether it is related to anemia or sarcopenia is unclear. In this study we examined the association of GDF-15 with renal function, hemoglobin and sarcopenia in healthy community-dwelling older females in Japan. Methods: A total of 66 healthy older community-dwelling females (age: 75.8 ± 6.2 years) were enrolled for this study. Skeletal muscle mass index was determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Hand-grip strength and walking speed were also assessed. Serum GDF-15 concentration was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and both hemoglobin (Hb) level and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were measured. Results: Serum GDF-15 levels positively correlated with age but negatively correlated with eGFR and walking speed. In multiple regression analysis, eGFR and hemoglobin (Hb) were independent variables to predict serum GDF-15 levels, even after adjusting for age and body mass index (eGFR: β = −0.423, p

Abstract Background The oncological effectiveness of preoperative radiotherapy for locally advanced colon cancer is unclear. We report a case of pathological complete response in a patient with locally advanced ascending colon cancer after preoperative radiotherapy following failure of chemotherapy. Case presentation A 65-year-old Japanese woman presented with malaise and hematochezia. A computed tomography (CT) revealed a tumor in the ascending colon which seemed to infiltrate the adjacent structures. She was diagnosed with locally advanced ascending colon cancer stages T4b, N2a, M0, and IIIC. We selected modified FOLFOX6 with panitumumab as neoadjuvant chemotherapy. However, we discontinued the chemotherapy after the 8th cycle because of disease progression and severe adverse effects. The patient then underwent radiotherapy of 60 Gy in 30 fractions, resulting in significant tumor size reduction. One month after the radiotherapy, we performed a right hemicolectomy with multivisceral resection without complications. Histopathologically, we found no residual cancer cells in the resected specimen. The patient remains alive and has not required additional therapies for 24 months, as there are no signs of recurrence. Conclusions The present case suggests that preoperative radiotherapy might be an effective treatment options for locally advanced colon cancer.

Leptin and adiponectin are important regulators of energy metabolism and body composition. Leptin exerts cardiodepressive effects, whereas adiponectin has cardioprotective effects, but several conflicting findings have been reported. The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between serum leptin and adiponectin levels and echocardiographic parameters and pathophysiological states in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) receiving cardiovascular surgery. A total of 128 patients (79 males, average age 69.6 years) that had surgery for CVD including coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and valve replacement were recruited in this study. Preoperative serum adiponectin and leptin concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared with preoperative echocardiographic findings. Body fat volume and skeletal muscle volume index (SMI) were estimated using bioelectrical impedance analysis. We also measured grip strength and gait speed. Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on the recommendations of the Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia. Positive correlations were found between adiponectin and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), age, left atrial diameter (LAD), E/e' (early-diastolic left ventricular inflow velocity / early-diastolic mitral annular velocity), and left atrial volume index (LAVI). Negative correlations were observed between adiponectin and body mass index (BMI), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), triglyceride, hemoglobin, and albumin. Serum leptin was positively correlated with BMI, total cholesterol, triglyceride, albumin, body fat volume, and LV ejection fraction (LVEF), whereas it was negatively correlated with BNP and echocardiographic parameters (LAD, LV mass index (LVMI), and LAVI). Multiple regression analysis showed associations between log (leptin) and log (adiponectin) and echocardiographic parameters after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI. Serum adiponectin was negatively correlated with leptin, but positively correlated with tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), an inflammatory cytokine. In males, serum leptin level had a positive correlation with skeletal muscle volume and SMI. However, adiponectin had a negative correlation with anterior mid-thigh muscle thickness, skeletal muscle volume and SMI. And, it was an independent predictive factor in males for sarcopenia even after adjusted by age. These results suggest that leptin and adiponectin may play a role in cardiac remodeling in CVD patients receiving cardiovascular surgery. And, adiponectin appears to be a marker of impaired metabolic signaling that is linked to heart failure progression including inflammation, poor nutrition, and muscle wasting in CVD patients receiving cardiovascular surgery.