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Introduction: Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. This study focused on minichromosome maintenance 4 (MCM4), a DNA helicase component that functions in DNA replication. Using spheroid colony formation, having a colony rich in cancer stem cells, this study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological importance of MCM4. Methods: We examined MCM4 expression using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis in 10 and 113 GC cases, respectively. MCM4 function in GC was also investigated by RNA interference in GC cell lines. Results: In qRT-PCR and IHC analysis, high MCM4 expression was found in 60% and 83% of GC cases, respectively. MCM4-positive GC cases were significantly associated with higher T grade and tumor stage. Additionally, high MCM4 expression was significantly associated with poor prognosis and was an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis. MCM4 was significantly coexpressed with CD133, matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7), epidermal growth factor (EGFR), and mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (cMET). In GC cell lines, MCM4 knockdown affected cell growth and protein kinase B (Akt), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and EGFR pathways. Conclusion: These results indicate that MCM4 expression could be a key regulator in GC progression and is pivotal in treating GC.

Mucin 1 (MUC1) overexpression has been reported in many malignancies and is associated with a poor prognosis. However, the clinicopathological significance of MUC1 in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) has not been investigated. We analyzed the expression and distribution of MUC1 in UTUC by immunohistochemistry. In normal urothelium, MUC1 expression was observed on the surface of umbrella cells. Meanwhile, the strong expression of MUC1 was observed in cell membranes and cytoplasm in UTUC tissues, and it was detected in 64 (58%) of a total of 110 UTUC cases. MUC1-positive UTUC cases were associated with nodular/flat morphology, high grade, high T stage, and lymphatic and venous invasion and poor prognosis. Additionally, MUC1 expression was associated with high expression of Ki-67, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), CD44 variant 9 (CD44v9), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and p53 in UTUC. Furthermore, immunocytochemistry for MUC1 on urine cytology slides demonstrated that the strong staining of MUC1 was more frequently found in tumor cells than in nonneoplastic cells. The diagnostic accuracy of urine cytology was improved by combining MUC1 immunostaining with cytology. These results suggest that MUC1 may be a prognostic biomarker in UTUC, and MUC1 exression has a potential application as a diagnostic immunomarker for urine cytology.

Introduction: BUB1 mitotic checkpoint serine/threonine kinase B encoded by BUB1B gene is a member of the spindle assembly checkpoint family. Several reports have demonstrated that overexpression of BUB1B is associated with cancer progression and prognosis. Objective: This study aims to clarify the expression and function of BUB1B in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Methods: The expression of BUB1B was determined using immunohistochemistry and bioinformatics analysis in RCC. The effects of BUB1B knockdown on cell growth and invasion were evaluated. We analyzed the interaction between BUB1B, cancer stem cell markers, p53, and PD-L1 in RCC. Results: In 121 cases of RCC, immunohistochemistry showed that 30 (25%) of the RCC cases were positive for BUB1B. High BUB1B expression was significantly correlated with high nuclear grade, T stage, and M stage. A Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the high expression of BUB1B was associated with poor overall survival after nephrectomy. High BUB1B expression was associated with CD44, p53, and PD-L1 in RCC. Knockdown of BUB1B suppressed cell growth and invasion in RCC cell lines. Knockdown of BUB1B also suppressed the expression of CD44 and increased the expression of phospho-p53 (Ser15). In silico analysis showed that BUB1B was associated with inflamed CD8+, exhausted T-cell signature, IFN-γ signature, and the response to nivolumab. Conclusion: These results suggest that BUB1B plays an oncogenic role and may be a promising predictive biomarker for survival in RCC.

Gear skiving is a state-of-the-art technique for machining internal gears with high efficiency. Numerical simulation method being able to analyze the eccentricity error e of cutter is critical to the understanding on the formation of surface roughness in skiving process. In this work, we proposed a novel Z-map-based numerical model to calculate the surface of gear flanks with eccentricity errors up to 9 μm. Correlation between eccentricity error and gear flank profile was clarified by numerical simulation and supported by experimental verification. The results show that the eccentricity error imposed a low-frequency motion during the generation of scallop height, leading to a surface roughness with a maximal error about four times that of the theoretical roughness. The e-induced scallop height became the majority factor account for variation of surface roughness when e exceeds 1.4 and 2.3 μm for feed rates of 0.4 and 0.8 mm/rev, respectively. The experimental result further supported the capability of proposed simulation model in providing detail surface features of gear flanks in skiving process.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most common human cancers. We previously reported that claspin is a key regulator in the progression of gastric cancer, and it likely plays an important role in cancer stem cells of gastric cancer. However, the significance of claspin in RCC has not been examined. First, we analyzed the expression and distribution of claspin in 95 RCC cases by immunohistochemistry. In the nonneoplastic kidney, the staining of claspin was either weak or absent, whereas RCC tissue showed nuclear staining. In total, claspin expression was detected in 45 (47%) of 95 RCC cases. The claspin staining appeared relatively stronger in high nuclear grade RCC than in low nuclear grade RCC. Claspin‐positive RCC cases were associated with higher T grade, tumor stage, nuclear grade, vein invasion, and poorer prognosis. CLSPN siRNA treatment decreased RCC cell proliferation. The levels of phosphorylated Erk and Akt were lower in CLSPN siRNA‐transfected RCC cells than in control cells. In addition, claspin was coexpressed with CD44, epidermal growth factor receptor, p53, and programmed death ligand‐1. These results suggest that claspin plays an important role in tumor progression in RCC and might be a prognostic marker and novel therapeutic target molecule., The present study is the first detailed analysis of claspin expression in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) including its clinicopathological significance and biological function. Our investigation showed that claspin plays an important role in tumor progression in RCC and might be a prognostic marker and novel therapeutic target molecule.

Background: βIII-Tubulin, encoded by the TUBB3 gene, is a microtubule protein. Several studies have shown that overexpression of TUBB3 is linked to poor prognosis and is involved in taxane resistance in some cancers. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the expression and function of TUBB3 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Methods: The expression of TUBB3 was determined using immuno­histochemistry in ccRCC specimens. The effects of TUBB3 knockdown on cell growth and invasion were evaluated in RCC cell lines. We analyzed the interaction between TUBB3, p53, cancer stem cell markers, and PD-L1. Results: In 137 cases of ccRCC, immunohistochemistry showed that 28 (20%) of the ccRCC cases were positive for TUBB3. High TUBB3 expression was significantly correlated with high nuclear grade, high T stage, and N stage. A Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that high expression of TUBB3 was associated with poor overall survival after nephrectomy. In silico analysis also showed that high TUBB3 expression was correlated with overall survival. Knockdown of TUBB3 suppressed cell growth and invasion in 786-O and Caki-1 cells. High TUBB3 expression was associated with CD44, CD133, PD-L1, and p53 in ccRCC. We generated p53 knockout cells using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. Western blotting revealed that p53 knockout upregulated the expression of TUBB3. Conclusion: These results suggest that TUBB3 may play an oncogenic role and could be a potential therapeutic target in ccRCC.

Introduction: Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is a common type of malignant disease, but little is known about the diagnostic and prognostic markers of upper urinary tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) because of its rarity. To clarify the significance of ANXA10 in UTUC, we studied ANXA10 expression with immunohistochemistry (IHC). Methods: The expression of ANXA10 was analyzed in the upper and lower urinary tract of UC by IHC in combination with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data analysis. The association between ANXA10 expression and representative cancer-related molecules was also evaluated. Results: ANXA10 expression was weak in normal upper tract urothelium but was positive in 39/117 (33%) UTUCs. ANXA10 was more frequently positive in tumors with pure UC (36%, p < 0.05), papillary morphology (50%, p < 0.01), low grade (G1/2: 57%, p < 0.01), and pTa/is/1 stage (55%, p < 0.01) than in those with histological variants (0%), nodular morphology (9%), G3 (16%), and pT2/3/4 (13%), respectively. ANXA10-positive patients showed better cancer-specific survival and progression-free survival than ANXA10-negative patients (p < 0.05). IHC showed that ANXA10 positivity was detected more in cases with the low expression of TP53 (p < 0.01) and Ki-67 labeling index p < 0.01). In TCGA dataset of muscle-invasive bladder cancer, higher ANXA10 expression correlated with papillary morphology, lower grade/stage, luminal papillary subtype, wild-type TP53, and FGFR3 gene mutation. Conclusion: We revealed that ANXA10 expression was increased during carcinogenesis and was observed more frequently in papillary UC of lower grade and stage. However, its expression decreased as cancer progressed. Therefore, the ANXA10 expression in UTUC might be clinically useful for decision-making.

Surface modification of various materials using ultraviolet (UV) irradiation improves their wettability. The purpose of this study was to investigate the wettability of a β-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) surface and the composition changes and bioactivity of β-TCP after UV irradiation. We applied 172 nm UV treatment to a β-TCP surface and measured the contact angle before and after UV irradiation. Energy-dispersive X-ray and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy examinations were performed on the β-TCP disk with or without UV treatment. In an adhesion test of bone marrow cells using β-TCP disks with and without UV irradiation, cell attachment was measured 10, 30, 50, and 70 h after β-TCP insertion. UV-irradiated β-TCP osteogenesis and absorption of bone substitutes were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining in a rabbit sinus model. The contact angle on the TCP surface decreased from 70° to 10° owing to UV irradiation. Conversely, UV irradiation did not change the composition of carbon, oxygen, and phosphorus. In the cell adhesion test, UV-irradiated β-TCP significantly increased cell adhesion compared with UV-unirradiated β-TCP after 10 to 30 h of culture. In the rabbit sinus model, TRAP staining showed that UV-irradiated β-TCP significantly increased the number of TRAP-positive cells compared with unirradiated β-TCP granules in the central part of β-TCP. Our results indicate that the UV irradiation of β-TCP improves its clinical utility for surgical bone augmentation in the oral and maxillofacial region.

We previously reported that claspin is a key regulator in the progression of gastric cancer and renal cell carcinoma. However, the clinicopathological significance of claspin in urothelial carcinoma (UC) has not been investigated. We analyzed the expression and distribution of claspin in UC cases by immunohistochemistry. In the non-neoplastic urothelium, the expression of claspin was either weak or absent, whereas UC tissues showed nuclear staining. The expression of claspin was detected in 58 (42%) of a total of 138 upper tract UC cases treated by radical nephroureterectomy without neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Claspin-positive UC cases were associated with nodular/flat morphology, variant histology, high tumor grade, high pathological T grade, and lymphatic and venous invasion. The expression of claspin was significantly associated with decreased progression-free survival and cancer-specific survival. In addition, claspin was co-expressed with Ki-67, PD-L1, HER2, EGFR, and p53 in consecutive tumor sections of UC. An immunohistochemical analysis of claspin in biopsy specimens revealed that strong to moderate claspin staining was more frequently observed in carcinoma in situ in comparison to dysplasia or the benign urothelium. Furthermore, immunocytochemistry for claspin on urine cytology slides demonstrated that the proportion of claspin-positive cells was significantly greater in high-grade UC than in benign cases. These results suggest that claspin may be a novel prognostic marker and a possible therapeutic target molecule for UC. Moreover, claspin could be a useful diagnostic biomarker of urothelial neoplasia.

To realize uniform heating characteristic of 2.45-GHz-microwave-induced-heating system with a 330-mm-diameter heating unit of carbon heating tubes (CHTs), we installed a propeller-type-rotational antenna with two 120-mm-long blades with tilted angles of 45 and −45° and a height of 105 mm in 330-mm-diameter cavity with a modified rotating velocity optimized by the numerical simulation. The CHT heating at 800°C for 170 s reduced the sheet resistivity ranging from 60 to 80 Q/sq for 1.0×1015 cnr=phosphorus implanted 300-mm-diameter silicon substrates. The average activation ratio Pay was 0.77 and its mean square deviation PRMSD was 0.05. They were better than Pay of 0.73 and PRMSD of 0.06 in the case of the CHT heating with no antenna.

Background Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2) is the primary enzyme catabolizing tryptophan. Several lines of evidence revealed that overexpression of TDO2 is involved in anoikis resistance, spheroid formation, proliferation, and invasion and correlates with poor prognosis in some cancers. The aim of this research was to uncover the expression and biofunction of TDO2 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Methods To show the expression of TDO2 in RCC, we performed qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry in integration with TCGA data analysis. The interaction of TDO2 with PD-L1, CD44, PTEN, and TDO2 expression was evaluated. We explored proliferation, colony formation, and invasion in RCC cells line affected by knockdown of TDO2. Results RNA-Seq and immunohistochemical analysis showed that TDO2 expression was upregulated in RCC tissues and was associated with advanced disease and poor survival of RCC patients. Furthermore, TDO2 was co-expressed with PD-L1 and CD44. In silico analysis and in vitro knockout of PTEN in RCC cell lines revealed the ability of PTEN to regulate the expression of TDO2. Knockdown of TDO2 suppressed the proliferation and invasion of RCC cells. Conclusion Our results suggest that TDO2 might have an important role in disease progression and could be a promising marker for targeted therapy in RCC. (199 words)

Although docetaxel (DTX) confers significant survival benefits in patients with castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), resistance to DTX inevitably occurs. Therefore, clarifying the mechanisms of DTX resistance may improve survival in patients with CRPC. Claspin plays a pivotal role in DNA replication stress and damage responses and is an essential regulator for the S‐phase checkpoint. CLSPN is an oncogenic gene that contributes to tumor proliferation in several human solid tumors. However, the clinical significance of claspin in prostate cancer (PCa) has not been examined. The present study aimed to elucidate the role of claspin and its relationship with DTX resistance in PCa. We immunohistochemically analyzed the expression of claspin in 89 PCa cases, of which 31 (35%) were positive for claspin. Claspin‐positive cases were associated with higher Gleason score, venous invasion, and perineural invasion. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that high claspin expression was related to poor prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) relapse‐free prognosis. In a public database, high CLSPN expression was associated with poor PSA relapse‐free prognosis, Gleason score, T stage, lymph node metastasis, CRPC, and metastatic PCa. Claspin knockdown by siRNA decreased cell proliferation, upregulated DTX sensitivity, and suppressed the expression of Akt, Erk1/2, and CHK1 phosphorylation in DU145 and PC3 cell lines. Furthermore, claspin expression was much more upregulated in DTX‐resistant DU145 (DU145‐DR) than in parental DU145 cells. Claspin knockdown significantly upregulated the sensitivity to DTX in DU145‐DR cells. These results suggest that claspin plays an important role in PCa tumor progression and DTX resistance., Claspin overexpression was related to poor PSA relapse‐free prognosis. Claspin knockdown significantly upregulated the sensitivity to docetaxel in DU145 docetaxel‐resistant cells.

We report a microwave heating system with a carbon heating tube (CHT) which was made by a 4-mm diameter quartz tube filled with carbon particles and Ar gas at 1400 Pa. A 60-mm-long CHT was set in a cavity in which 2.45-GHz microwave was introduced. Via nearly complete absorption of a microwave power of 200 W by carbon in the CHT during multi-reflection of the microwave in the cavity, the CHT was effectively heated to 1279 °C at 33 s after the microwave initiation, which was observed by the radiation-type thermometer. Moreover, the control of the CHT temperature was demonstrated with a home-made proportional–integral–differential feedback circuit which regulated the magnetron power source using a signal of the thermometer. The control of temperature at 1100 °C was successfully realized. Crystallization of a 58-nm-thick amorphous silicon thin film formed on the glass substrate was demonstrated by mechanically moving the silicon sample just below the heated CHT. A high crystalline volume ratio of 0.92 was achieved. Furthermore, heating of 500- $\mu \text{m}$ -thick-n-type silicon substrate implanted with $1.0\times 10^{15}$ cm−2 phosphorus and boron atoms with the CHT resulted in activation of the doped regions. Rectified diode characteristics were achieved.

We report 2.45-GHz-microwave-induced heating system with carbon heating tubes (CHTs) which consists of 330-mm-long quartz tube filled with carbon particles and Ar gas. A metal cavity was developed to effectively introduce microwave to CHTs. Numerical calculation demonstrates effective absorption of microwave by CHTs placed in the cavity with 330 mm diameter. Heating CHTs with 200 S/m above 1000°C was experimentally demonstrated. 1.0x1015-cm−2 phosphorus implanted surface regions in crystalline silicon were activated and the sheet resistivity was decreased to 78 Ω/sq with an activation ratio of 80%. The photo-induced effective minority carrier lifetime increased to 120µs because of reduction of defect induced by ion implantation.

Gastric cancers (GCs) are still one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality. The histological and molecular features of GC may differ widely from area to area within the same tumor. Intratumoral heterogeneity has been considered a major obstacle to an efficient diagnosis and successful molecular treatment. We selected and reevaluated 842 GC cases and analyzed the relationship between numbers or composites of histological patterns within tumors, and clinicopathological parameters in mucosal and invasive areas. In addition, we searched for the GC-associated molecules or molecular subtypes marking histological diversities. GC cases with more histological numbers or mixed types in invasive areas showed significantly higher T grade and staging, whereas those in mucosal areas did not show any significant associations. GCs with histological diversities showed poorer prognosis and characteristically expressed cancer stem cell-related molecules (CD44, CD133 or ALDH1) and receptor tyrosine kinase molecules (HER2, EGFR or c-MET) as well as Helicobacter pylori infection. Expressions of CD44, HER2, c-MET, laminin 5·2 or retained E-cadherin in mucosal areas were predictive of more histological numbers and mixed types in invasive areas. In addition, the chromosomal instability subtype of GC showed significant associations with more histological numbers and mixed histological type, whereas the genomic stability subtype of GC showed a significant relationship with pure type. We displayed the relationship between histological diversity and molecular features in GC, and we hope that the present data can contribute to the early diagnosis and prevention, and effective treatment of GC.

Intelectin-1 (ITLN1) is an adipokine with an anti-inflammatory function that is involved in neoplastic diseases such as pleural mesothelioma and gastric and prostate cancers. However, the expression and function of ITLN1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unknown. To identify novel prognostic markers or therapeutic targets for CRC, we focused on ITLN1 protein. By immunohistochemistry, 87 (59%) of 148 CRC cases showed reduced expression of ITLN1. ITLN1-reduced CRC cases were associated with higher M grades (P = 0.0017) than ITLN1-retained CRC cases. Furthermore, the cases with ITLN1 retained expression tended toward a more favorable prognosis than those with reduced expression. Cell growth of the CRC cell lines transfected with ITLN1 siRNA were greater than those of the negative control cell lines transfected with siRNA. Levels of phosphorylated epidermal growth factor receptor, Erk and Akt were higher in the CRC cells transfected with ITLN1 siRNA than in control cells. Immunohistochemical analysis of human colorectal polyp specimens also revealed a sequential decrease in the expression of ITLN1 through both the conventional adenoma-carcinoma pathway and the serrated pathway. These results indicated that ITLN1 might play an important role in regulating colorectal tumorigenesis.

Materials fabricated with unsintered hydroxyapatite/poly-l-lactic acid (uHA/PLLA) exhibit biological activity and biocompatibility, but are also hydrophobic. This hydrophobicity limits the ability of cells or tissues to adhere to the surface of the material and thereby prevents the materials from exhibiting effective biological activity. In this study, we examined the effects of ultraviolet (UV) treatment on the hydrophobicity of uHA/PLLA. We compared the contact angle, mechanical strength, cell attachment, and cell differentiation capacity between untreated uHA/PLLA and uHA/PLLA treated with UV light. The contact angle of UV-treated uHA/PLLA was significantly reduced compared with that of untreated uHA/PLLA. However, there were no differences in mechanical strength between untreated uHA/PLLA and UV-treated uHA/PLLA. Notably, the ability of cells to adhere to UV-treated uHA/PLLA was significantly increased compared with that of untreated uHA/PLLA. Similarly, there were significant differences between UV-treated uHA/PLLA and untreated uHA/PLLA in alkaline phosphatase assays. These findings demonstrated that UV irradiation of uHA/PLLA improved the surface hydrophilicity without changing the mechanical strength of the material; thus, UV treatment of uHA/PLLA may facilitate the use of this material in biomedical applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 191-200, 2018.

We report a microwave heating system with a carbon heating tube (CHT) made by a 4-mm diameter quartz tube filled carbon particles and Ar gas at 1400 Pa. 2.45-GHz microwave at 200 W was introduced to a 300-dimameter metal cavity, in which 60-mm-long CHT was set at the central position. The numerical simulation with a finite element moment method resulted in the standing wave of the electric field caused by three dimensional Fresnel interference effect with low high electric field intensity ranging from from 1 to 6 kV/m because of effective absorption of microwave power by the CHT. The lowest average electrical field intensity of 5 kV/m in the cavity space was given by the electrical conductivity of carbon ranging from 10 to 55 S/m. The CHT with 55 S/m heated to 1200oC by microwave irradiation at 200 W. This heating method was applied to activate 1.0x1015-cm-2 boron and phosphorus implanted regions in n-type crystalline silicon substrate to fabricate pn junction and solar cells. The CHT heating at 1200oC realized decrease in the sheet resistivity to 146 Ω/sq, decrease in the density of defect states to 1.3x1011 and 9.2x1010 cm-2 for boron (p+) and phosphorus (n+) implanted surfaces, and solar cell characteristic with a conversion efficiency of 15% under illumination of air mass 1.5 at 0.1 W/cm2.

We report 2.45-GHz microwave heating system with a carbon heating tube (CHT) made by a 4-mm-diameter and 60-mm-long-quartz tube filled with conductive carbon particles and Ar gas at 1400 Pa set in a 300-mm-diameter-sized metal cavity. The three-dimensional finite element numerical simulation method resulted in the most effective electrical conductivity of CHT ranged from 10 to 55 S/m to absorb the microwave power. A proportional-integral-differential feedback CHT temperature control system was used to activate 1.0×1015-cm−2-boron and phosphorus implanted regions in n-type crystalline silicon substrate from 1000 to 1200°C. The CHT heating at 1200°C realized decrease in the sheet resistivity to 146 Ω/sq, decrease in the density of defect states to 1.3×1011 and 9.2×1010 cm−2 for boron (p+) and phosphorus (n+) implanted surfaces, and solar cell characteristic with a conversion efficiency of 15% under illumination of air mass 1.5 at 0.1 W/cm2.

At the islands area without bridges, vessels are the only means to transport people and goods. It is necessary to prepare measures using the vessels for a wide-scale disaster such as Nankai Trough Earthquake. In order to make a best possible use of transportation performance of the vessels in a disaster, “A matching system between vessels and port facilities using mobile phones” is developed. A pilot program to review whether the system is practical and the findings are reported in this paper.

We report a new heating system with a carbon heating tube (CHT) which was made by a quartz tube filled with carbon particles and Ar gas. A 60-mm long and 4-mm diameter CHT was set in a cavity in which 2.45-GHz microwave was introduced. Via complete absorption of the input microwave power by carbon in the CHT during multi-reflection of microwave in the cavity, the CHT was effectively heated to 1279°C at a microwave power of 200 W for 33 s. Crystallization of a 50-nm-thick amorphous silicon thin film formed on glass substrate was demonstrated by mechanically moving the silicon sample just below the heated CHT. A high crystalline volume ratio of 0.9 was achieved.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Spheroid colony formation is a useful method to identify cancer stem cells (CSCs). The aim of this study was to identify a novel prognostic marker or therapeutic target for GC using a method to identify CSCs. We analyzed the microarray data in spheroid body-forming and parental cells and focused on the CLSPN gene because it is overexpressed in the spheroid body-forming cells in both the GC cell lines MKN-45 and MKN-74. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that CLSPN messenger RNA expression was up-regulated in GC cell lines MKN-45, MKN-74, and TMK-1. Immunohistochemistry of claspin showed that 94 (47%) of 203 GC cases were positive. Claspin-positive GC cases were associated with higher T and N grades, tumor stage, lymphatic invasion, and poor prognosis. In addition, claspin expression was coexpressed with CD44, human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2, and p53. CLSPN small interfering RNA treatment decreased GC cell proliferation and invasion. These results indicate that the expression of claspin might be a key regulator in the progression of GC and might play an important role in CSCs of GC.

We report a low-loss connecting technique between silicon waveguides and standard single-mode fibers using a unique extremely-high-Δ silica-based PLC. 32-port coupling with coupling losses of 1.4∼1.6 dB/facet and pitch conversion has been demonstrated.

We attempted to predict activity/dominance for soccer games, where activity is defined as the degree of activity of the game as perceived by the viewer, whereas dominance is the degree at which the viewer perceives a particular team to dominate over the other team. Such activity/dominance information would help a layman viewer understand the game. It would also enable construction of an automatic digest creation system that extracts scenes having high activity/dominance. There are two facets of this study: 1. The main part of the underlying prediction model consists of a Stick-Breaking Hidden Markov Model, where the data automatically estimates the number of states of the Markov process behind the data. 2. The data used in this paper is vector time-series data consisting of player, referee, and ball positions, together with team information, acquired by a set of fixed cameras. The problem was approached with a Bayesian framework where learning and prediction were implemented by three different methods: Markov Chain Monte Carlo, Expectation Maximization, and Variational Bayes. The proposed method was tested using a dataset consisting of 10 professional soccer games and was compared against standard regression methods.

We report the first use of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for the treatment of a patient with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the esophagus (EACC). An 82-year-old woman visited our hospital for evaluation of an esophageal submucosal tumor. Endoscopic examination showed a submucosal tumor in the middle third of the esophagus. The lesion partially stained with Lugol's solution, and narrow band imaging with magnification showed intrapapillary capillary loops with mild dilatation and a divergence of caliber in the center of the lesion. Endoscopic ultrasound imaging revealed a solid 8 mm × 4.2 mm tumor, primarily involving the second and third layers of the esophagus. A preoperative biopsy was non-diagnostic. ESD was performed to resect the lesion, an 8 mm submucosal tumor. Immunohistologically, tumor cells differentiating into ductal epithelium and myoepithelium were observed, and the tissue type was adenoid cystic carcinoma. There was no evidence of esophageal wall, vertical stump or horizontal margin invasion with pT1b-SM2 staining (1800 μm from the muscularis mucosa). Further studies are needed to assess the use of ESD for the treatment of patients with EACC.

We are reporting a rare case of acute liver injury that developed after an internal hemorrhoid treatment with the aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid (ALTA) regimen. A 41-year-old man developed a fever and liver injury after undergoing internal hemorrhoid treatment with a submucosal injection of ALTA with lidocaine. The acute liver injury was classified clinically as hepatocellular and pathologically as cholestastic. We could not classify the mechanism of injury. High eosinophil and immunoglobulin E levels characterized the injury, and a drug lymphocyte stimulation test was negative on postoperative day 25. Fluid replacement for two weeks after hospitalization improved the liver injury. ALTA therapy involves injecting chemicals into the submucosa, from the rectum to the anus, and this is the first description of a case that developed a severe liver disorder after this treatment; hence, an analysis of future cases as they accumulate is desirable.

According to the international consensus guidelines 20121 for the management of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) and mucinous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas, main duct IPMN (MD-IPMN) and branch duct IPMN (BD-IPMN) are significantly different with regard to the prevalence of carcinoma, and therefore, the classification has prognostic implications. When MD-IPMN is diagnosed in a patient, surgical treatment should be considered. In BD-IPMN, however, it is important to differentiate low-grade dysplasia from high-grade dysplasia (carcinoma in situ) or ordinary invasive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) to avoid excessive surgery. The presence of mural nodules (MNs) has reportedly been the most important factor for predicting malignancy and determining the indication for surgery of BD-IPMN. However, there is a paucity of data on the morphological and histologic changes in patients with BD-IPMN with MNs during follow-up. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term follow-up results of patients with BD-IPMN who had MNs on initial imaging in a retrospective multicenter series for better management of patients with BD-IPMN.

We herein report a case of intracholecystic papillary-tubular neoplasm (ICPN) of the gallbladder in which jaundice developed. A 58-year-old woman with jaundice was referred to our hospital. Computed tomography revealed a papillary tumor in the body of the gallbladder protruding into the bile duct. A transpapillary biopsy of the bile duct verified adenocarcinoma, and pancreatoduodenectomy with extended cholecystectomy was performed. The tumor spread macroscopically from the gallbladder body to the cystic duct, thus forming a polypoid mass protruding into the bile duct. This is a rare case of invasive carcinoma from ICPN leading to mechanical obstruction of the bile duct.

Background and Aim Although biliary cannulation with pancreatic guidewire placement (P-GW) is useful for difficult cases in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), the clinical significance of wire-guided cannulation with P-GW (double-guidewire technique: DGT) has not been clarified. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of DGT for difficult biliary cannulation after unsuccessful biliary cannulation using a cannula/sphincterotome under guidance of injected contrast with P-GW (single-guidewire technique: SGT). Methods One-hundred and forty-six patients with difficult biliary cannulation who underwent SGT were included in this retrospective study. DGT was carried out if SGT was unsuccessful. Pancreatic duct (PD) stenting was attempted to prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) in all patients. The success rate of cannulation and the risk factors for PEP were investigated. Results Biliary cannulation with SGT was achieved in 70%. DGT was carried out in 25 patients with unsuccessful SGT, biliarycannulation being successful in 72%. Of the 13 patients who underwent precut sphincterotomy, biliary cannulation was achieved in 46%. The incidence of PEP in patients who had undergone SGT, DGT, and precut sphincterotomy was 8% (12: mild, 8; moderate, 3; severe, 1), 4% (mild, 1), and 0%, respectively. PD stenting was successfully carried out in 86%. Multivariate analysis revealed unsuccessful PD stenting to be the only risk factor for PEP (OR 8.3, 95% CI 2.3–30). Conclusions DGT may replace SGT or become the salvage procedure in cases of unsuccessful SGT as a result of its high success rate with an acceptable incidence of PEP. Failed pancreatic duct stenting in these techniques was frequently associated with PEP.

A versatile photocatalyst-excimer-lamp hybrid unit for both air- and water-purification at practical scale was investigated. The unit consisted of a xenon filled quartz tube (20 mm i.d. × 300 mm length) and TiO2 nanoparticles-modified Ti-mesh sheet (TMiP™). Emission at 172 nm from a xenon excimer ( Xe 2 ∗ ) was able to produce reactive species by direct photolysis of water or air. At the same time, the emission was able to excite TiO2 on TMiP surface. Therefore, the unit decomposes organic contaminants by synergy of photocatalysis and photolysis. Air- and water-purification efficiency of the unit was examined by high concentration of acetaldehyde and phenol decomposition test, respectively. The disinfection activity of the units for waterborne pathogens was also investigated. For comparison, the purification units using excimer-lamp alone or UV lamps with TMiP and/or ozone treatment were evaluated in the same methods. The photocatalyst-excimer-lamp hybrid unit was able to decompose acetaldehyde and phenol effectively, compared with the other units. On the other hand, disinfection activity of the unit for waterborne pathogens was strongly affected by the kind of the waterborne pathogens. The difference of efficiency between organic pollutants and waterborne pathogens by the unit may be due to the molecular or bacterial size and the surface composition of bacteria and viruses, critical wavelength for disinfection, and the permeation ability of the outer wall of bacterial cells or virus particles for reactive species. Taken together, the photocatalyst-excimer-lamp hybrid unit has wide potentials for environmental purification by the synergy of photocatalysis and photolysis. These results would be attractive to develop a practical environmental purification system such as sewage water treatment.

Objective To retrospectively evaluate the risk factors for post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis (PEP) and stent dysfunction after performing preoperative biliary drainage (BD) in patients with malignant biliary stricture. Methods Between January 2003 and February 2013, 105 consecutive patients who had undergone transpapillary BD before surgery were enrolled in this study. Procedure-related complications, stent dysfunction rates, and their respective risk factors were investigated. PEP was defined according to the consensus guidelines. Results Fifty-five patients had bile duct cancer, 31 had pancreatic cancer, 16 had ampullary cancer, and 3 had gallbladder cancer. Endoscopic biliary stenting (EBS) and nasobiliary drainage (NBD) were performed in 84 patients and 21 patients, respectively. PEP occurred in 10% of the patients, with a significantly higher frequency in those with hilar/upper bile duct stricture (p=0.026) and a normal bilirubin level at admission (p=0.016). Of the 84 patients who underwent initial EBS, stent dysfunction occurred in 13%. The mean number of days from EBS to stent dysfunction was 14±12 days. A multivariate analysis revealed a male gender (p=0.048), a stent diameter ≤8 Fr (p=0.036), and an ERCP procedure time ≥45 minutes (p=0.021) to be risk factors for stent dysfunction. No NBD tube dysfunction was observed. Conclusion Patients with upper/hilar bile duct stricture or a normal bilirubin level are at high risk of developing PEP after preoperative BD. NBD or EBS with a large-bore stent is therefore recommended as preoperative BD.

Materials fabricated with unsintered hydroxyapatite/poly-l-lactic acid (uHA/PLLA) exhibit biological activity and biocompatibility, but are also hydrophobic. This hydrophobicity limits the ability of cells or tissues to adhere to the surface of the material and thereby prevents the materials from exhibiting effective biological activity. In this study, we examined the effects of ultraviolet (UV) treatment on the hydrophobicity of uHA/PLLA. We compared the contact angle, mechanical strength, cell attachment, and cell differentiation capacity between untreated uHA/PLLA and uHA/PLLA treated with UV light. The contact angle of UV-treated uHA/PLLA was significantly reduced compared with that of untreated uHA/PLLA. However, there were no differences in mechanical strength between untreated uHA/PLLA and UV-treated uHA/PLLA. Notably, the ability of cells to adhere to UV-treated uHA/PLLA was significantly increased compared with that of untreated uHA/PLLA. Similarly, there were significant differences between UV-treated uHA/PLLA and untreated uHA/PLLA in alkaline phosphatase assays. These findings demonstrated that UV irradiation of uHA/PLLA improved the surface hydrophilicity without changing the mechanical strength of the material; thus, UV treatment of uHA/PLLA may facilitate the use of this material in biomedical applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 191-200, 2018.

O,N,O-tridentate ligands 2-H2 based on a 2,6-substituted pyridine structure and their dichlorotitanium complexes 3 were synthesized and structurally characterized. The complexes have five-coordinated, trigonal bipyramidal structure, in which one chlorine atom was located at trans-position to the nitrogen atom of the pyridine ring and the other was at cis-position. NMR spectroscopy indicated their fluxional structure in solution. The complexes showed low to modest catalytic activity for ethylene polymerization in the presence of methylaluminoxane (MAO) as a co-catalyst.

Aim To evaluate the effect of wire-guided biliary cannulation (WGC) on the prevention of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis (PEP). Methods We investigated the impact of the WGC technique on the incidence of PEP by comparing the conventional cannulation (CC) technique in selective bile duct cannulation during ERCP with a cross-over design in a prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial and the potential risk factors for PEP. This involved six tertiary referral centers and three university hospitals. A total of 322 patients with indications for ERCP requiring selective biliary cannulation were enrolled from April 2008 to March 2009. Results One hundred and sixty-three patients were assigned to the WGC group and 159 to the CC group. The incidence of PEP was the same between the groups (6.1% vs 6.3%, P = 0.95). Primary successful biliary cannulation was achieved in 136 patients (83%) in the WGC group and in 138 (87%) in the CC group (P = 0.40). The mean time required for primary successful biliary cannulation was 7.4 ± 8.3 min and 7.2 ± 7.9 min, respectively (P = 0.83). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that accidental guidewire insertions and unintended injections of contrast into the main pancreatic duct were the only independent risk factors for PEP (P = 0.001, relative risk [RR]: 8.70, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.46–30.81). Conclusion The WGC technique does not reduce the risk of PEP and also does not improve the success rate of selective bile duct cannulation.

Recently, the clinical application of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) has been expanding to abdominal organs. However, only a few studies on gallbladder diseases have been published. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness and limitations of high b-value DWI for gallbladder diseases. A total of 153 patients (mean age 60 ± 15 years, 78 males) who had undergone DWI for evaluating gallbladder wall thickening or polypoid lesions were included in this study. Of these 153 patients, 36 had gallbladder cancer and 117 had benign gallbladder diseases (67 chronic cholecystitis, 44 adenomyomatosis, four cholesterol polyp, one gallbladder adenoma, and one xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis). We evaluated the positive signal rate with DWI and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of each disease. The positive signal rate with DWI was significantly higher in gallbladder cancer (78 %) than in benign gallbladder diseases (22 %) (p

Background and Aim: Although reports on endosonography-guided biliary drainage (ESBD) have been increasing, only a few reports on deployment of a self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) have been reported. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SEMS deployment in ESBD. Methods: Of 42 patients who underwent ESBD during the period from January 2007 to August 2011, 21 patients with unresectable malignant biliary obstruction in whom SEMS deployment had been attempted were included. In the first session, a plastic stent or SEMS was placed in a bilio-enteric anastomosis (BEA) method. SEMS was deployed with the one-step technique or with replacement of a plastic stent with a SEMS in the second session. The technical success, early and late complications, and stent patency of SEMS were evaluated. Results: One-step SEMS deployment was attempted in seven patients, and SEMS was deployed with stent exchange in 14. SEMS deployment was successful in all patients without any complications. Finally, SEMS was placed in a BEA method in 16 patients (extrahepatic bile duct, 13; intrahepatic bile duct, three), and with antegrade deployment in five. Late complications occurred in three patients who underwent deployment of SEMS in a BEA method (stent obstruction in two and reflux cholangitis in one). The mean stent patency period was 433 days. Conclusions: As SEMS deployment in ESBD is safe and provides long stent patency, a SEMS seems to be the stent of choice in ESBD for patients with unresectable malignant biliary obstruction in whom long survival is expected.