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Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is one of the aggressive peripheral T-cell neoplasms with a poor prognosis. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that escape from adaptive immunity is a hallmark of ATLL pathogenesis. However, the mechanisms by which ATLL cells evade natural killer (NK)-cell–mediated immunity have been poorly understood. Here we show that CD48 expression in ATLL cells determines the sensitivity for NK-cell–mediated cytotoxicity against ATLL cells. We performed unbiased genome-wide clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) screening using 2 ATLL-derived cell lines and discovered CD48 as one of the best-enriched genes whose knockout conferred resistance to YT1–NK cell line-mediated cytotoxicity. The ability of CD48-knockout ATLL cells to evade NK-cell effector function was confirmed using human primary NK cells with reduced interferon-γ (IFNγ) induction and degranulation. We found that primary ATLL cells had reduced CD48 expression along with disease progression. Furthermore, other subgroups among aggressive peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) also expressed lower concentrations of CD48 than normal T cells, suggesting that CD48 is a key molecule in malignant T-cell evasion of NK-cell surveillance. Thus, this study demonstrates that CD48 expression is likely critical for malignant T-cell lymphoma cell regulation of NK-cell–mediated immunity and provides a rationale for future evaluation of CD48 as a molecular biomarker in NK-cell–associated immunotherapies.

Human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6) encephalitis is one of the life-threatening complications after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Early diagnosis and intervention are important for the prevention of poor prognosis and sequelae. Although hyponatremia is known to be associated with HHV-6 encephalitis, it is unclear whether the preceding hyponatremia is a useful hallmark for the diagnosis of HHV-6 encephalitis. We retrospectively reviewed 134 consecutive patients who underwent allo-HSCT at our institution and evaluated the relationship between HHV-6 encephalitis and hyponatremia. Interestingly, 7 (50%) of 14 patients who developed HHV-6 encephalitis presented hyponatremia within a week before the onset of HHV-6 encephalitis. On the other hand, only 14 (11.7%) out of 120 patients without HHV-6 encephalitis developed hyponatremia. Hyponatremia, treating as a time-dependent covariate, was significantly correlated with the incidence of HHV-6 encephalitis. Moreover, the diagnostic accuracy analysis showed that the coexistence of hyponatremia and central nerve system (CNS) dysfunction strongly suggests HHV-6 encephalitis. In conclusion, our study suggests the likelihood of HHV-6 encephalitis significantly increases in the patients with CNS dysfunction following hyponatremia after allo-HSCT and this combination may help in early diagnosis and intervention of HHV-6 encephalitis after allo-HSCT.

Background: The predictive factors for discontinuation of S-1 administration and prognostic factors in elderly patients with pStage II/III gastric cancer receiving S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy remain unclear. Methods: Between January 2004 and December 2016, 80 elderly gastric cancer patients (≥70 years) undergoing curative D2 gastrectomy were enrolled in this study. Predictive factors for completion of S-1 administration over 1 year, adverse events due to S-1 administration, and prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) were evaluated. Results: Twenty-eight patients (35%) completed 8 courses of S-1. The median relative dose intensity was 82.1% (IQR 31.1–100%). The incidence rates of hematological and nonhematological adverse events were acceptable. Distal gastrectomy was an independent predictive factor for completion of S-1 administration (odds ratio [OR] 0.364; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.141–0.939; p = 0.037). Higher postoperative neutrophil count/lymphocyte count (N/L) ratio and more advanced stage adversely influenced OS. Multivariate analysis revealed that a higher postoperative N/L ratio and more advanced stage adversely affected RFS. Conclusion: To complete adjuvant S-1 administration to elderly patients with pStage II/III gastric cancer, total gastrectomy should be avoided if possible. A new regimen for elderly gastric cancer patients with higher postoperative N/L ratios and more advanced stage should be established.

Prophylactic splenectomy for hilar lymph node (#10) dissection has shown no survival benefit for patients with proximal advanced gastric cancer that does not invade the greater curvature. However, the survival benefit of prophylactic splenectomy for proximal advanced gastric cancer invading the greater curvature side, particularly for clinically negative #10 lymph node metastasis (#10[-]) cases remains controversial.This multi-institutional retrospective study enrolled 146 consecutive patients with proximal advanced gastric cancers invading the greater curvature side with clinical #10(-) who underwent R0 total gastrectomy. For 33 of these patients, splenectomy was performed, and the remaining 113 underwent spleen-preservation gastrectomy. Short- and long-term results were compared between the splenectomy and spleen-preservation groups, with the incidence of #10 metastasis in the splenectomy group and recurrence in the spleen-preservation group compared.In the splenectomy group, longer operative time, greater blood loss, more frequent postoperative abdominal infection, and longer hospital stay were observed than in the spleen-preservation group. The two groups exhibited no differences in median relapse-free survival time (31.1 vs 59.8 months; P = 0.684) or median overall survival time (64.9 vs 65.1 months; P = 0.765). The pathologic #10 lymph node metastasis rate was 3% in the splenectomy group, and the #10 lymph node recurrence rate was 2.7% in the spleen-preservation group.Prophylactic splenectomy showed more frequent postoperative morbidities and a longer hospital stay than spleen preservation, without any long-term survival benefits.

Background/aim Prophylactic splenectomy has shown no inferiority for tumors not invading the greater curvature side. Despite this, the clinical impact of prophylactic splenectomy for proximal advanced gastric cancer is not clear. This review aimed to clarify the impact of splenectomy for advanced gastric cancer in the upper third of the stomach. Materials and methods A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted based on PubMed and EMBASE databases. The following search terms were used: "gastric cancer" OR "splenectomy" OR upper third of the stomach" OR preservation of the spleen. Results Out of 765 articles, 18 studies (combined n=6,341) were included in the analysis. Four randomized controlled trials (RCT) and eight retrospective studies suggested the benefits of spleen-preserving gastrectomy. Six retrospective studies showed no significant benefit of spleen-preserving gastrectomy. Prophylactic splenectomy showed a close association with a higher incidence of postoperative morbidity (pancreatic fistula and anastomotic leakage) with no concomitant improvement in overall survival. Prophylactic splenectomy should not be routinely performed and RCTs are necessary to confirm the impact of splenectomy for cN(+) at the splenic hilum tumors and tumors invading the greater curvature.

Patients with gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopic-assisted pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (LAPPG group)or laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy(LADG group)between January 2010 and December 2019 were reviewed and their postoperative nutritional status and long-term outcomes retrospectively evaluated.In total, 83 patients(LAPPG group, n=23; LADG group, n=60)were included. Weight loss rates 1, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively in the LAPPG and LADG groups were 5.7% and 7.1%, 6.6% and 9.6%, 5.8% and 10.1%, and 5.2% and 8.7%, respectively. The LADG group exhibited a significantly higher weight loss than the LAPPG group at 6, 12, and 24 months (p=0.007, 0.002, and 0.022, respectively). No recurrence was observed in either group within 5 years of surgery. The 5- year overall survival rate of patients with pathological Stage Ⅰ cancer( LAPPG group, n=23, LADG group, n=51) was higher in the LAPPG group than in the LADG group(100% vs 82.9%, p=0.027). There were 6 cases of death from other diseases in the LADG group(pneumonia, n=2, other cancer, n=2, postoperative bleeding, n=1, and heart failure, n=1)but none in the LAPPG group.The weight loss after LAPPG was significantly lower than that after LADG. Furthermore, the former showed a good prognosis without death from other diseases, such as pneumonia.

Long-term outcomes in gastric cancer patients with positive lavage cytology (CY1) are generally poor. This multi-institutional retrospective cohort study aims to evaluate the clinical significance of the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) in CY1 gastric cancer patients. A total of 121 CY1 gastric cancer patients without other non-curative factors, who underwent macroscopically curative resection, were enrolled in this study. The cutoff values of preoperative NLR (pre-NLR), postoperative NLR (post-NLR), preoperative LMR (pre-LMR), and postoperative LMR (post-LMR) were defined by the Contal and O’Quigley method as 2.3, 3.0, 2.5, and 3.2, respectively. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to identify the independent prognostic factors among NLR, LMR, and other clinicopathological factors. There were significant differences in the overall survival (OS) between the two groups: high post-NLR groups vs. low post-NLR group (median survival time, months) (10.9 vs. 22.8, P = 0.006) and high pre-LMR group vs. low pre-LMR group (21.3 vs. 11.0, P = 0.001). The LMR value elevated significantly after gastrectomy (P = 0.020), although not in the NLR value (P = 0.733). On multivariate analysis, high post-NLR (hazard ratio = 1.506; 95% confidence interval = 1.047–2.167; P = 0.027), low pre-LMR (1.773; 1.135–2.769, 0.012), and no postoperative chemotherapy (1.558; 1.053–2.305, 0.027) were found to be independent prognostic factors for adverse OS. Because a combination of high post-NLR and low pre-LMR may be an adverse prognostic marker in resectable CY1 gastric cancer patients, it is necessary to conduct a prospective trial to confirm a useful perioperative chemotherapeutic regimen for these patients.

Background The significance of the dimensional factors (tumor diameter, area and volume) as the prognostic factor has not been precisely evaluated in pT1 gastric cancer. Objectives This study aimed to identify the clinical impact and to confirm the clinical feasibility of the dimensional factors as prognostic factors in pT1 gastric cancer. Methods We analyzed prognostic factors for disease-specific survival (DSS), overall survival (OS) using clinicopathological factors by univariate and multivariate analyses and the pattern of recurrence in 2011 pT1 gastric cancer (mucosal and submucosal cancers) undergoing R0 gastrectomy. The cut-off values of each dimensional factor was decided by the ROC curve. Results Cox proportional hazard regression model showed that older age (≥75) and more advanced pN stage were adverse independent prognostic factors for DSS, and revealed that older age (≥75), greater preoperative co-morbid diseases, proximal and total gastrectomy, operative method and Clavien-Dindo classification (≥grade III) were independent adverse factors for OS. Any dimensional factors were not independent prognostic factors for any survival. Conclusions The dimensional factors do not influence both OS and DSS in pT1 gastric cancer patients and so it is difficult to apply these dimensional factors for conducting therapeutic strategies.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare and highly aggressive tumor. Nivolumab showed durable antitumor effect in patients with recurrent MPM and was approved for those patients in Japan in 2018. Immune related adverse event (irAE) is occurred in various organs and is suggestive to be related to better outcome of nivolumab. Frequency of hematological irAE is low and there are few reports about hematological irAE and association between irAE and outcome of nivolumab in patients with MPM. We present a case of recurrent MPM who responded to nivolumab treatment and experienced nivolumab-induced immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Although high dose dexamethasone was administered and platelet count increased transiently, re-administration of dexamethasone was required to maintain normal count of platelet. The careful and intensive management of ITP treatment is necessary in cases who show no response or relapse to initial glucocorticoids treatment. This is the first report about nivolumab-induced ITP and association with response to nivolumab in MPM., Highlights • Frequency of hematological immune related adverse event (irAE) is low and there are only a few reports of hematological irAE in patients with MPM. • This patient needed repeated administration of dexamethasone for nivolumab-induced immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) treatment. • Careful and intensive management of ITP treatment is necessary in patients who show no response or who relapse after initial glucocorticoid treatment. • A clinical response to nivolumab was observed in this patient. • This is the first report of nivolumab-induced ITP and its association with response to nivolumab treatment in a patient with MPM.

An obesity-related prediabetic state is characterised by metabolic abnormalities such as post-glucose load hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia and consequently increases the risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS) on metabolic abnormalities in obese prediabetic subjects in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Herein, 100 obese subjects (body mass index ≥25), who had moderate post-load hyperglycaemia (1-hr post-load plasma glucose (PG) levels ≥180 mg/dl during the oral glucose tolerance test), consumed LcS-fermented milk or placebo milk daily for 8 weeks. The post-load PG and fasting blood markers were evaluated. Although post-load PG levels were not significantly different between the groups, 1-hr post-load PG, glycoalbumin, and HbA1c levels decreased at 8 weeks compared with the baseline levels only in the LcS group (p=0.036, p=0.002, and p=0.006, respectively). The reduction in glycoalbumin levels was statistically significantly greater in the LcS group than in the placebo group (p=0.030). Stratified analyses revealed significantly improved 1-hr post-load PG and glycoalbumin levels in the LcS group compared with the placebo group among subjects with severe glucose intolerance (2-hr post-load PG levels higher than the median at baseline; p=0.036 and p=0.034, respectively). In terms of lipidic outcomes, total, low-density lipoprotein, and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly lower in the LcS group than in the placebo group (p=0.023, p=0.022, and p=0.008, respectively). These findings suggest that LcS may favourably affect metabolic abnormalities in obese prediabetic subjects, though the effects on glycaemic control may be limited.

We report a case of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with two cytogenetically unrelated clones. The patient was a 45-year-old male who was diagnosed with acute monoblastic leukemia (AMoL). Initial G-band analysis showed 51,XY,+6,+8,inv(9)(p12q13)c,+11,+13,+19[12]/52,idem,+Y[8], but G-band analysis after induction therapy showed 45,XY,-7,inv(9)(p12q13)c[19]/46,XY,inv(9)(p12q13)c[1]. Retrospective FISH analysis revealed a cryptic monosomy 7 clone in the initial AML sample. The clone with multiple trisomies was eliminated after induction therapy and never recurred, but a clone with monosomy 7 was still detected in myelodysplastic marrow with a normal blast percentage. Both clones were successfully eliminated after related peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, but the patient died of relapsed AML with monosomy 7. We concluded that one clone was de novo AMoL with chromosome 6, 8, 11, 13, and 19 trisomy and that the other was acute myeloid leukemia with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC) with chromosome 7 monosomy showing different responses to chemotherapy. Simultaneous onset of cytogenetically unrelated hematological malignancies that each have a different disease status is a rare phenomenon but is important to diagnose for a correct understanding of the disease status and for establishing an appropriate treatment strategy.

The association between Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) expression, genetic abnormalities and homozygous single polymorphism (SNP) in WT1 gene was evaluated in 252 acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) patients. WT1 expression correlated with prognostic genetic abnormalities. Homozygous WT1 SNP rs16754 was associated with lower expression of WT1. WT1 expression had no prognostic impact in any cytogenetic group or SNP status. Background: The prognostic impact of WT1 expression at diagnosis of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) has been controversial. The aim of this study was to determine the correlations of WT1 expression at diagnosis of AML with established prognostic alterations. Patients and Methods: We analyzed diagnostic bone marrow samples from 252 patients. WT1 expression, SNP in WT1 gene (rs16754), and Flt3-ITD mutation were analyzed for all patients. NPM1 mutation and CEBPA double mutation were analyzed for cytogenetically normal (CN)-AML. KIT mutation was analyzed for core-binding factor (CBF)-AML. Results: Within the cytogenetically favorable prognosis group, WT1 expression in AML with inv(16) or t(15;17) was significantly higher than that in AML with t(8;21). In cases with CN-AML, Flt3-ITD and NPM1 mutations were both correlated with higher expression of WT1, whereas CEBPA double mutation was related to lower WT1 expression. The existence of both Flt3- ITD and NPM1 mutations showed synergistically higher expression of WT1 in CN-AML. SNP in WT1 gene (rs16754) was significantly associated with lower expression of WT1. WT1 levels were not prognostic factors in the total cohort, in any cytogenetic group nor SNP status. Conclusion: Since WT1 expression correlated to known prognostic factors, the prognostic impact of WT1 levels might be misunderstood depending on the distribution of collaborative mutations in each cohort. We conclude that the prognostic significance of WT1 at diagnosis of AML is weak compared to other established prognostic factors.

We report a case of rectal metastasis from breast cancer.Colorectal metastasis from breast cancer is sometimes difficult to diagnose before surgery.A transanal needle biopsy was thought to be useful for a diagnosis and selection of treatment method.

Background The impact of associating liver partition and portal vein occlusion for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) on tumor growth activity was investigated. Methods A BALB/c mouse model (male, 8–10 weeks old) of liver metastasis labeled by red fluorescent protein was established. Changes in future liver remnant (FLR) volumes, tumor growth activity, and levels of cytokines and growth factors in liver tissues during the treatment period were compared among the models involving ALPPS, portal vein ligation (PVL), or sham operation. Results The ratio of the FLR volume to body weight at 24 h after the procedure was greater for ALPPS (4.45 ± 0.12 × 10−2) than for PVL (3.79 ± 0.12 × 10−2; P = 0.003) and sham operation (3.18 ± 0.16 × 10−2; P Conclusion ALPPS induces a rapid increase in FLR volume and avoids remnant tumor progression during the early postoperative period.

An obesity-related prediabetic state is characterised by metabolic abnormalities such as post-glucose load hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia and consequently increases the risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS) on metabolic abnormalities in obese prediabetic subjects in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Herein, 100 obese subjects (body mass index ≥25), who had moderate post-load hyperglycaemia (1-hr post-load plasma glucose (PG) levels ≥180 mg/dl during the oral glucose tolerance test), consumed LcS-fermented milk or placebo milk daily for 8 weeks. The post-load PG and fasting blood markers were evaluated. Although post-load PG levels were not significantly different between the groups, 1-hr post-load PG, glycoalbumin, and HbA1c levels decreased at 8 weeks compared with the baseline levels only in the LcS group (p=0.036, p=0.002, and p=0.006, respectively). The reduction in glycoalbumin levels was statistically significantly greater in the LcS group than in the placebo group (p=0.030). Stratified analyses revealed significantly improved 1-hr post-load PG and glycoalbumin levels in the LcS group compared with the placebo group among subjects with severe glucose intolerance (2-hr post-load PG levels higher than the median at baseline; p=0.036 and p=0.034, respectively). In terms of lipidic outcomes, total, low-density lipoprotein, and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly lower in the LcS group than in the placebo group (p=0.023, p=0.022, and p=0.008, respectively). These findings suggest that LcS may favourably affect metabolic abnormalities in obese prediabetic subjects, though the effects on glycaemic control may be limited.

We studied histologic changes of bile canalicular–ductule networks in the future liver remnant (FLR) while associating liver partition and portal vein occlusion for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS), since little is known about regeneration of these networks during the relatively short interval between procedures in ALPPS. Bile canalicular–ductule networks were examined in specimens from eight patients treated with ALPPS and six patients undergoing hepatectomy following portal vein embolization (PVE). Expression of multidrug resistance-1 (MDR1), a membrane transporter in bile canaliculi (BC), was analyzed immunohistochemistcally. Morphologic changes of BC and tight junctions (TJs) adjoining BC were also assessed electron microscopically. Extrapolated kinetic growth of the FLR was greater during ALPPS (17.2 ± 6.8 mL/day) than after PVE (6.3 ± 3.4 mL/day; p = 0.005), and continuity of the MDR1-positive bile canalicular networks was less evident in ALPPS than PVE (p

Objective: Several studies have shown that rates of cerebrovascular events in HIV-infected patients are increased in comparison to uninfected individuals. In addition, cerebral bleeding represents a serious complication in hemophilia patients. Recently, asymptomatic cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), which can be detected by highly sensitive techniques such as T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have emerged as an important marker for predicting symptomatic cerebral bleeding. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of CMBs in HIVinfected hemophilia patients and to evaluate the association between HIV infection and cerebral bleeding. Methods: All HIV-infected hemophilia patients (HIV+ HemPts) who visited our hospital from January 2015 to December 2016 were enrolled in this study. In addition, all HIV-uninfected hemophilia patients (HIV- HemPts) who visited our hospital in the same period were enrolled as controls. CMBs were assessed using T2*-weighted MRI. The relationship between cerebral bleeding and the patients’ clinical factors was examined. Results: Two HIV+ HemPts had symptomatic cerebral bleedings during the study period. Twenty-one asymptomatic HIV+ HemPts and 13 HIV- HemPts underwent T2*-weighted MRI. CMBs were observed in 7 HIV+ HemPts (30.4%) and 1 HIV- HemPts (7.7%). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, HIV infection was the factor most closely related to cerebral bleeding (odds ratio: 9.78, p-value: 0.08). Conclusion: This is the first report to investigate the prevalence of CMBs in HIV-infected patients. The prevalence of CMBs or symptomatic cerebral bleeding in HIV+ HemPts was high in comparison to that in HIV- HemPts. The brain screening test by T2*-weighted MRI seems to be meaningful for HIV+ HemPts.

International audience; Na + ions play important roles on the physical and chemical properties of aluminosilicate glasses. It is known that they strongly modify the network of tetahedral SiO 4 and AlO 4 units, but the microscopic details on how they alter the local structure remain to be fully established. Here we address this issue by performing classical molecular dynamics simulations over a wide range of glasses compositions. The simulations include atomic polarization and deformation effects through the use of a DFT-parametrized aspherical ion model (AIM), which is carefully validated against experimental data (bond lengths, neutron and X-ray diffraction, and NMR spectroscopy). We show that the structure of the glasses is a subtle interplay between the nature of bridging/nonbridging oxides and the arrangement of Na + ions around them. This reflects, in particular, on the oxide instantaneous dipole moments. ■ INTRODUCTION Durability and mechanical properties of oxide glasses at ambient pressure have attracted much attention from the perspective of material chemistry. 1−11 In particular, in the case of aluminosilicates, the mechanical strength can be further improved through the ion-exchanging procedure on the glass surface, such as in the well-known Corning Gorilla glass. 12,13 Since aluminosilicates in the form of polycrystalline ceramics also show excellent optical property thanks to structural disorder, they are practically used as transparent materials in electrical devices. 14 The dense packing structure of oxide glasses also enables to seal radioactive ions for a long period. 15−18 A key component of functional glasses are alkali and alkaline-earth ions. Because of the weaker character of the bonds they form with oxide ions, in a pure silicate network, they generally create nonbridging oxygens and modify the tetrahedral network topology; they are acting as network modifiers. However, when coexisting with Al 3+ or B 3+ , they can also play the role of charge compensators and assist the formation of four-coordinated cations (tetrahedral AlO 4 or BO 4 units) and bridging oxygens. 11 As a consequence, they increase the packing fraction of the network structure. Due to the difference of strengths between the Si−O/Al−O/B−O bonds on the one hand and the Na−O bonds on the other hand, these oxide materials are often called iono-covalent glasses, even if most of the interactions are very well captured by purely ionic models. 19 Recently, structural and mechanical properties of several aluminosilicate glasses have been extensively investigated using experimental techniques 4,5,8,20,21 and computer simulations. 7,13,22 One of the main remaining challenges is to fully understand the effect of network modifiers on the glass properties. Thereby, a precise atomistic understanding of the nature of ionic bonding in aluminosilicate glasses is important both for fundamental studies and because of their widespread usage in material design. The most intuitive approaches for the experimental determination of atomic structures are X-ray and neutron diffraction, together with EXAFS measurements. 23−37 They are indeed useful techniques for obtaining first coordination shell bond lengths and numbers, although it remains difficult to extract information on the second coordination shell. For such a task, NMR spectroscopy has proven to be a very powerful tool that gives access to the short-and intermediate-range

Ultrasonic high-frequency complex vibrations are effective for various ultrasonic high-power applications. Three types of ultrasonic complex vibration system with a welding tip vibrating elliptical to circular locus for packaging in microelectronics were studied. The complex vibration sources are using (1) a longitudinal-torsional vibration converter with diagonal slits that is driven only by a longitudinal vibration source, (2) a complex transverse vibration rod with several stepped parts that is driven by two longitudinal vibration source crossed at a right angle and (3) a longitudinal vibration circular disk and three longitudinal transducers that are installed at the circumference of the disk.

Primary bone lymphoma (PBL) comprises less than 1% of all malignant lymphomas. Because few studies of PBL have been conducted in Japan, the characteristics of Japanese patients with PBL have not been fully elucidated. We retrospectively analyzed 17 patients diagnosed with PBL at our institution between 2001 and 2011. Median patient age was 60 years. Eleven patients had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and 2 patients had T-cell lymphoma histology. The spine was the most frequently involved site at the time of presentation. There were 11 patients with stage IV disease and 11 patients with high or high-intermediate risk according to the International Prognostic Index (IPI). Thirteen patients achieved complete response (CR) after initial treatment. At a median follow-up of 31 months, the 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression free survival were 63.5 and 49.9%, respectively. Localized disease, low or low-intermediate IPI, and CR after initial treatment were associated with a good outcome in patients with PBL and significantly associated with a better OS. Spine involvement and T/NK-cell phenotype are more frequent in Japanese than in Caucasian patients with PBL.

Rapid detection of yeast contamination is important in the food industry. We have developed loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays to detect the emerging opportunistic pathogenic yeasts: Candida albicans , Candida glabrata , Candida tropicalis, the Candida parapsilosis group , Trichosporon asahii, and Trichosporon mucoides . These yeasts may cause deep-seated candidiasis or trichosporonosis. Four LAMP primer sets specific for Candida were designed to target the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region between the 5.8S and 26S rRNA genes, and two LAMP primer sets specific for Trichosporon were designed to target the intergenic spacer 1 (IGS1) region between the 26S and 5S rRNA genes. The LAMP assays could detect these yeasts in a range between 10 and 103 cells mL−1 in a contaminated dairy product within 1 h. We also developed multiplex LAMP assays to detect these Candida or Trichosporon species in a single reaction. Multiplex LAMP assays can detect contamination if at least one of the target species is present; they are more time- and cost-efficient than conventional methods and could detect target yeasts with sensitivity close to that of the LAMP assays. Multiplex LAMP assays established in this study can be used as a primary screening method for yeast contamination in food products.

Yeast contamination is a serious problem in the food industry and a major cause of food spoilage. Several yeasts, such as Filobasidiella neoformans , which cause cryptococcosis in humans, are also opportunistic pathogens, so a simple and rapid method for monitoring yeast contamination in food is essential. Here, we developed a simple and rapid method that utilizes loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for the detection of F. neoformans . A set of five specific LAMP primers was designed that targeted the 5.8S–26S rDNA internal transcribed spacer 2 region of F. neoformans , and the primer set's specificity was confirmed. In a pure culture of F. neoformans , the LAMP assay had a lower sensitivity threshold of 10 2 cells/mL at a runtime of 60 min. In a probiotic dairy product artificially contaminated with F. neoformans , the LAMP assay also had a lower sensitivity threshold of 10 2 cells/mL, which was comparable to the sensitivity of a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay. We also developed a simple two-step method for the extraction of DNA from a probiotic dairy product that can be performed within 15 min. This method involves initial protease treatment of the test sample at 45 °C for 3 min followed by boiling at 100 °C for 5 min under alkaline conditions. In a probiotic dairy product artificially contaminated with F. neoformans , analysis by means of our novel DNA extraction method followed by LAMP with our specific primer set had a lower sensitivity threshold of 10 3 cells/mL at a runtime of 60 min. In contrast, use of our novel method of DNA extraction followed by qPCR assay had a lower sensitivity threshold of only 10 5 cells/mL at a runtime of 3 to 4 h. Therefore, unlike the PCR assay, our LAMP assay can be used to quickly evaluate yeast contamination and is sensitive even for crude samples containing bacteria or background impurities. Our study provides a powerful tool for the primary screening of large numbers of food samples for yeast contamination.

Background Excessive oxidative stress plays a causal role in various diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and heart failure. Acromegaly is a pathological condition associated with excess growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and a high prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and heart failure; resulting in premature death. We hypothesized that these conditions may be associated with increased oxidative stress. Objective and methods We explored the oxidative stress levels in the serum and tissues of GH-transgenic rats as an animal model for acromegaly. We also measured the oxidative stress levels in the serum of patients with acromegaly and age-, sex-, and BMI-matched control subjects. We examined the effects of GH and IGF-I on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in C2C12 myocytes. Results The levels of an oxidative stress marker, serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were increased in the GH-transgenic rats. Further, tissue oxidative stress damage was enhanced in the cardiomyocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells in the aorta of the GH-transgenic rats. In addition, serum TBARS levels and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels were increased in acromegaly in humans. IGF-I but not GH induced ROS production in C2C12 myocytes in vitro . Conclusions These data indicate that the increased levels of IGF-I are associated with enhanced oxidative stress in rats and humans. In addition, increased ROS may play an important role in the complications and premature death in acromegaly.

This paper proposes a novel spectrum sharing technique for an existing wireless local area network (LAN) system (primary user) based on IEEE 802.11a, and a new system (secondary user) equipped with the proposed spectrum sharing technique. Both systems are assumed to behave according to carrier sense multiple accesses with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol. An objective of spectrum sharing techniques is to achieve higher secondary user's throughput while the primary user's throughput is maintained. We utilize one key parameter, the channel occupancy rate (COR), which is the channel usage rate of the primary or secondary system. The proposed spectrum sharing technique is the minimum CW size selection (MCWSS) for secondary users to control the COR of secondary system. We set an alternative objective which is to maximize the COR for secondary system while COR of the primary system is maintained. By computer simulations, we show that by the MCWSS secondary user can maintain the constraint for the primary system and achieve the target COR performance and it leads to the higher secondary user's throughput performance, while maintaining the primary user's throughput performance.