Background: Fibroepithelial polyp in the vulva is a rare disease mainly seen in female adolescents and young adults, and several reports were published in the past. Some cases showed large polyps that might be misinte...Background: Fibroepithelial polyp in the vulva is a rare disease mainly seen in female adolescents and young adults, and several reports were published in the past. Some cases showed large polyps that might be misinterpreted as malignant tumors such as aggressive angiomyxoma. Aim: We report a case of bilateral fibroepithelial polyps in the labia minora in an adolescent age girl. Case Presentation: A 16 year-old-girl was referred to our department for the treatment of an enlarged skin-tag appearance lesion at the right sided labia minora. The lesion was resected and the microscopic finding was a fibroepithelial polyp. One year after the first operation the patient was again referred to our department for the treatment of a skin-tag lesion at the left sided labia minora. It was again resected and the pathological diagnosis was a fibroepithelial polyp. Conclusion: Fibroepithelial polyp of the labia minora is not common and it is often seen in adolescent girls and in young adults. Bilateral lesions and skin-tag appearance are especially rare. The lesion should be excised for obtaining the correct diagnosis.展开更多
Congenital esophageal stenosis(CES) is an extremely rare malformation, and standard treatment have not been completely established. By years of clinical research, evidence has been accumulated. We conducted systematic...Congenital esophageal stenosis(CES) is an extremely rare malformation, and standard treatment have not been completely established. By years of clinical research, evidence has been accumulated. We conducted systematic review to assess outcomes of the treatment for CES, especially the role of endoscopic modalities. A total of 144 literatures were screened and reviewed. CES was categorized in fibromuscularthickening, tracheobronchial remnants(TBR) and membranous web, and the frequency was 54%, 30% and 16%, respectively. Therapeutic option includes surgery and dilatation, and surgery tends to be reserved for ineffective dilatation. An essential point is that dilatation for TBR type of CES has low success rate and high rate of perforation. TBR can be distinguished by using endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS). Overall success rate of dilatation for CES with or without case selection by using EUS was 90% and 29%, respectively. Overall rate of perforation with or without case selection was 7% and 24%, respectively. By case selection using EUS, high success rate with low rate of perforation could be achieved. In conclusion, endoscopic dilatation has been established as a primary therapy for CES except TBR type. Repetitive dilatation with gradual step-up might be one of safe ways to minimize the risk of perforation.展开更多
We report a case of life-threatening hematemesis due to portal hypertension caused by an isolated arterioportal fistula (APF). Intrahepatic APFs are extremely rare and are a cause of presinusoidal portal hypertension....We report a case of life-threatening hematemesis due to portal hypertension caused by an isolated arterioportal fistula (APF). Intrahepatic APFs are extremely rare and are a cause of presinusoidal portal hypertension. Etiologies for APFs are comprised of precipitating trauma, malignancy, and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, but these were not the case in our patient. Idiopathic APFs are usually due to congenital vascular abnormalities and thus usually present in the pediatric setting. This is one of the first cases of adult-onset isolated APF who presented with portal hypertension and was successfully managed through endoscopic hemostasis and subsequent interventional radiological embolization.展开更多
Hepatic angiosarcoma is a mesenchymal tumor originating from liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. It is an extremely rare malignant neoplasm accounting for less than 1% of primary malignant liver tumors. The deregulate...Hepatic angiosarcoma is a mesenchymal tumor originating from liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. It is an extremely rare malignant neoplasm accounting for less than 1% of primary malignant liver tumors. The deregulated coagulopathy that can be seen in hepatic angiosarcoma fulfills the clinical diagnostic criteria of disseminated intravascular coagulation. However, the mechanism that governs this coagulopathy has been poorly understood. This case report provides histological evidence of the consumption of coagulation factors along with trapped platelets occurring within the tumor, which is the foundation for the concept of Kasabach-Merritt syndrome(KMS). KMS is characterized by thrombocytopenia and hyperconsumption of coagulation factors within a vascular tumor. However, KMS associated with angiosarcoma has not been well recognized. This case report describes, for the first time, the histological evidence of KMS that occurred in an extremely rare mesenchymal malignant tumor of the liver.展开更多
An improved terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase- mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling method for the quantification of DNA damage in tissues and cultured cells was developed. Many reports have revealed that histoc...An improved terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase- mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling method for the quantification of DNA damage in tissues and cultured cells was developed. Many reports have revealed that histochemistry of DNA damage can be visualized using immunohistochemistry for the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase reaction in tissue sections. However, few reports have described quantification of DNA damage in tissues or cells. In this study, to estimate the degree of DNA damage, the confirmed method for histochemistry using biotinylated dUTP and deoxynucleotidyl transferase was applied to label the cleaved DNA ends caused by DNA damage in tissues or cells. After end-labeling, avidin-conjugated peroxidase was reacted. A significant correlation was observed between numbers of cleaved DNA ends and peroxidase activity after the reaction. The obtained signals for presented method showed higher than those for ordinary method, and correlate with degree of DNA damage caused by serum deprivation and chemical dose. In addition, DNA damage caused by apoptosis in cells treated with 6-hydroxydopamine or Cu and in the tissues of rats administered a diet containing no Zn could be evaluated quantitatively using the present method.展开更多
To investigate the link between cigarette smoking and flexibility in the Japanese population, we used data of 4234 men and 9169 women, aged 20-79 years, in this cross-sectional investigation study. Flexibility such as...To investigate the link between cigarette smoking and flexibility in the Japanese population, we used data of 4234 men and 9169 women, aged 20-79 years, in this cross-sectional investigation study. Flexibility such as sit and reach were measured. In addition, habits of cigarette smoking and exercise were obtained by well-trained medical staff. The effect of cigarette smoking on flexibility was evaluated. A total of 1613 men (38.1%) and 995 women (10.9%) were having habits of cigarette smoking. Flexibility in men was decreased with aging and that in women increased with aging under 60’s. Flexibility in subjects with cigarette smoking was significantly lower than that in subjects without cigarette smoking even after adjusting for age and exercise habits in both sexes. Cigarette smoking might be modifiable factor of flexibility in the Japanese.展开更多
The link between income inequality and obesity inJapanwas evaluated. Income inequality of all 47 prefectures of Japan as expressed by Gini coefficient was obtained from National Statistics Center, Japan. The rate of o...The link between income inequality and obesity inJapanwas evaluated. Income inequality of all 47 prefectures of Japan as expressed by Gini coefficient was obtained from National Statistics Center, Japan. The rate of obesity (%) was also obtained from National NutritionSurvey,Japan. The effect of income inequality on obesity was evaluated by ecological study. Income inequality as expressed by Gini coefficient was 0.31 ± 0.01 and the rate of obesity was 31.6% ± 5.6%. Gini coefficient was significantly and positively correlated with the rate of obesity (r = 0.490, p = 0.0005). Income inequality was might be associated with the rate of obesity inJapan.展开更多
We investigated the changes in exercise habits and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) with lifestyle modification in Japanese. We used data for 105 men (48.2 ± 13.8 years) and 110 women (48.6 ± 12.1 ...We investigated the changes in exercise habits and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) with lifestyle modification in Japanese. We used data for 105 men (48.2 ± 13.8 years) and 110 women (48.6 ± 12.1 years) without any medications with a 1-year follow up. Subjects were given advice for dietary and lifestyle improvement. At the 1-year follow up, body weight and body mass index (BMI) were significantly decreased in both sexes. Abdominal circumference was significantly decreased in men. In addition, changes in exercise habits were noted in both sexes. In separate analysis in subjects without exercise habits at baseline, the changes in baPWV with exercise habits at follow up was lower than that without exercise habits at follow up in both sexes, but not at a significant level. Lifestyle modification may increase exercise habits, however, it did not evidently change baPWV in this population.展开更多
The ability to maintain functional hepatocytes has important implications for bioartificial liver development,cell-based therapies,drug screening,and tissue engineering.Several approaches can be used to restore hepato...The ability to maintain functional hepatocytes has important implications for bioartificial liver development,cell-based therapies,drug screening,and tissue engineering.Several approaches can be used to restore hepatocyte function in vitro,including coating a culture substrate with extracellular matrix(ECM),encapsulating cells within biomimetic gels(Collagen-or Matrigel-based),or co-cultivation with other cells.This paper describes the use of bioactive heparin-based core-shell microcapsules to form and cultivate hepatocyte spheroids.These microcapsules are comprised of an aqueous core that facilitates hepatocyte aggregation into spheroids and a heparin hydrogel shell that binds and releases growth factors.We demonstrate that bioactive microcapsules retain and release endogenous signals thus enhancing the function of encapsulated hepatocytes.We also demonstrate that hepatic function may be further enhanced by loading exogenous hepatocyte growth factor(HGF)into microcapsules and inhibiting transforming growth factor(TGF)-β1 signaling.Overall,bioactive microcapsules described here represent a promising new strategy for the encapsulation and maintenance of primary hepatocytes and will be beneficial for liver tissue engineering,regenerative medicine,and drug testing applications.展开更多
Sub-nanometer armchair graphene nanoribbons(GNRs)with moderate band gap have great potential towards novel nanodevices.GNRs can be synthesized in the confined tubular space of single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs),in...Sub-nanometer armchair graphene nanoribbons(GNRs)with moderate band gap have great potential towards novel nanodevices.GNRs can be synthesized in the confined tubular space of single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs),in which precursor molecules have been specifically designed to form the GNRs with certain width and edge.However,it is still unexplored how the diameter and metallicity of SWCNTs influence the synthesis of the GNRs.Herein,we applied a series of SWCNTs with different average diameters to study the diameter-dependent synthesis of GNRs.By using Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy,we found that the width of the GNRs can be tailored by the diameter of the SWCNTs.Especially,the SWCNTs with average diameter of 1.3 nm produced 6 and 7 armchair GNRs with the highest yield,which can be well explained by considering the width of the GNRs and van der Waals radius of hydrogen and carbon atoms.In addition,semiconducting and metallic SWCNTs produced GNRs with different yields,which could attribute to different diameter distributions and density of defects.These results enable the possibility of a high-yield production of certain armchair graphene nanoribbons in large scale,which would benefit future applications as semiconductor with sub-nanometer in width.展开更多
Crystalline ErCl_(3) nanowires have been fabricated in single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs)with high yield(~90%),and the structural and magnetic properties of the resulting ErCl_(3) nanowires encapsulated in SWCNTs(...Crystalline ErCl_(3) nanowires have been fabricated in single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs)with high yield(~90%),and the structural and magnetic properties of the resulting ErCl_(3) nanowires encapsulated in SWCNTs(ErCl_(3)@SWCNTs)characterized.Encapsulation under high temperature and vacuum using high quality SWCNTs results in a high fi lling-ratio of ErCl_(3) nanowires in the SWCNTs.The high fi lling-ratio of ErCl_(3) nanowires and the use of highly pure SWCNTs with only a small amount of residual Fe catalyst nanoparticles enabled us to observe the magnetic properties of ErCl_(3)@SWCNTs.Structure determination based on simulated annealing calculations and high-resolution transmission electron microscope(HRTEM)image simulations revealed that the structure of the ErCl_(3) nanowires is unusual with respect to the coordination environment of the Eu3+ions.This work opens up new possibilities to fabricate various metal complex nanowires with high yield and may also be of more general importance in understanding and exploring magnetic properties in low-dimensional magnetic systems.展开更多
文摘Background: Fibroepithelial polyp in the vulva is a rare disease mainly seen in female adolescents and young adults, and several reports were published in the past. Some cases showed large polyps that might be misinterpreted as malignant tumors such as aggressive angiomyxoma. Aim: We report a case of bilateral fibroepithelial polyps in the labia minora in an adolescent age girl. Case Presentation: A 16 year-old-girl was referred to our department for the treatment of an enlarged skin-tag appearance lesion at the right sided labia minora. The lesion was resected and the microscopic finding was a fibroepithelial polyp. One year after the first operation the patient was again referred to our department for the treatment of a skin-tag lesion at the left sided labia minora. It was again resected and the pathological diagnosis was a fibroepithelial polyp. Conclusion: Fibroepithelial polyp of the labia minora is not common and it is often seen in adolescent girls and in young adults. Bilateral lesions and skin-tag appearance are especially rare. The lesion should be excised for obtaining the correct diagnosis.
文摘Congenital esophageal stenosis(CES) is an extremely rare malformation, and standard treatment have not been completely established. By years of clinical research, evidence has been accumulated. We conducted systematic review to assess outcomes of the treatment for CES, especially the role of endoscopic modalities. A total of 144 literatures were screened and reviewed. CES was categorized in fibromuscularthickening, tracheobronchial remnants(TBR) and membranous web, and the frequency was 54%, 30% and 16%, respectively. Therapeutic option includes surgery and dilatation, and surgery tends to be reserved for ineffective dilatation. An essential point is that dilatation for TBR type of CES has low success rate and high rate of perforation. TBR can be distinguished by using endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS). Overall success rate of dilatation for CES with or without case selection by using EUS was 90% and 29%, respectively. Overall rate of perforation with or without case selection was 7% and 24%, respectively. By case selection using EUS, high success rate with low rate of perforation could be achieved. In conclusion, endoscopic dilatation has been established as a primary therapy for CES except TBR type. Repetitive dilatation with gradual step-up might be one of safe ways to minimize the risk of perforation.
文摘We report a case of life-threatening hematemesis due to portal hypertension caused by an isolated arterioportal fistula (APF). Intrahepatic APFs are extremely rare and are a cause of presinusoidal portal hypertension. Etiologies for APFs are comprised of precipitating trauma, malignancy, and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, but these were not the case in our patient. Idiopathic APFs are usually due to congenital vascular abnormalities and thus usually present in the pediatric setting. This is one of the first cases of adult-onset isolated APF who presented with portal hypertension and was successfully managed through endoscopic hemostasis and subsequent interventional radiological embolization.
文摘Hepatic angiosarcoma is a mesenchymal tumor originating from liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. It is an extremely rare malignant neoplasm accounting for less than 1% of primary malignant liver tumors. The deregulated coagulopathy that can be seen in hepatic angiosarcoma fulfills the clinical diagnostic criteria of disseminated intravascular coagulation. However, the mechanism that governs this coagulopathy has been poorly understood. This case report provides histological evidence of the consumption of coagulation factors along with trapped platelets occurring within the tumor, which is the foundation for the concept of Kasabach-Merritt syndrome(KMS). KMS is characterized by thrombocytopenia and hyperconsumption of coagulation factors within a vascular tumor. However, KMS associated with angiosarcoma has not been well recognized. This case report describes, for the first time, the histological evidence of KMS that occurred in an extremely rare mesenchymal malignant tumor of the liver.
文摘An improved terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase- mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling method for the quantification of DNA damage in tissues and cultured cells was developed. Many reports have revealed that histochemistry of DNA damage can be visualized using immunohistochemistry for the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase reaction in tissue sections. However, few reports have described quantification of DNA damage in tissues or cells. In this study, to estimate the degree of DNA damage, the confirmed method for histochemistry using biotinylated dUTP and deoxynucleotidyl transferase was applied to label the cleaved DNA ends caused by DNA damage in tissues or cells. After end-labeling, avidin-conjugated peroxidase was reacted. A significant correlation was observed between numbers of cleaved DNA ends and peroxidase activity after the reaction. The obtained signals for presented method showed higher than those for ordinary method, and correlate with degree of DNA damage caused by serum deprivation and chemical dose. In addition, DNA damage caused by apoptosis in cells treated with 6-hydroxydopamine or Cu and in the tissues of rats administered a diet containing no Zn could be evaluated quantitatively using the present method.
文摘To investigate the link between cigarette smoking and flexibility in the Japanese population, we used data of 4234 men and 9169 women, aged 20-79 years, in this cross-sectional investigation study. Flexibility such as sit and reach were measured. In addition, habits of cigarette smoking and exercise were obtained by well-trained medical staff. The effect of cigarette smoking on flexibility was evaluated. A total of 1613 men (38.1%) and 995 women (10.9%) were having habits of cigarette smoking. Flexibility in men was decreased with aging and that in women increased with aging under 60’s. Flexibility in subjects with cigarette smoking was significantly lower than that in subjects without cigarette smoking even after adjusting for age and exercise habits in both sexes. Cigarette smoking might be modifiable factor of flexibility in the Japanese.
文摘The link between income inequality and obesity inJapanwas evaluated. Income inequality of all 47 prefectures of Japan as expressed by Gini coefficient was obtained from National Statistics Center, Japan. The rate of obesity (%) was also obtained from National NutritionSurvey,Japan. The effect of income inequality on obesity was evaluated by ecological study. Income inequality as expressed by Gini coefficient was 0.31 ± 0.01 and the rate of obesity was 31.6% ± 5.6%. Gini coefficient was significantly and positively correlated with the rate of obesity (r = 0.490, p = 0.0005). Income inequality was might be associated with the rate of obesity inJapan.
文摘We investigated the changes in exercise habits and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) with lifestyle modification in Japanese. We used data for 105 men (48.2 ± 13.8 years) and 110 women (48.6 ± 12.1 years) without any medications with a 1-year follow up. Subjects were given advice for dietary and lifestyle improvement. At the 1-year follow up, body weight and body mass index (BMI) were significantly decreased in both sexes. Abdominal circumference was significantly decreased in men. In addition, changes in exercise habits were noted in both sexes. In separate analysis in subjects without exercise habits at baseline, the changes in baPWV with exercise habits at follow up was lower than that without exercise habits at follow up in both sexes, but not at a significant level. Lifestyle modification may increase exercise habits, however, it did not evidently change baPWV in this population.
基金supported in part by the Center for Regenerative Medicine and Cells to Cures Strategic Initiative at Mayo Clinic,J.W.Kieckhefer Foundation,Al Nahyan Foundation,and NIH(DK107255 and P30DK084567).
文摘The ability to maintain functional hepatocytes has important implications for bioartificial liver development,cell-based therapies,drug screening,and tissue engineering.Several approaches can be used to restore hepatocyte function in vitro,including coating a culture substrate with extracellular matrix(ECM),encapsulating cells within biomimetic gels(Collagen-or Matrigel-based),or co-cultivation with other cells.This paper describes the use of bioactive heparin-based core-shell microcapsules to form and cultivate hepatocyte spheroids.These microcapsules are comprised of an aqueous core that facilitates hepatocyte aggregation into spheroids and a heparin hydrogel shell that binds and releases growth factors.We demonstrate that bioactive microcapsules retain and release endogenous signals thus enhancing the function of encapsulated hepatocytes.We also demonstrate that hepatic function may be further enhanced by loading exogenous hepatocyte growth factor(HGF)into microcapsules and inhibiting transforming growth factor(TGF)-β1 signaling.Overall,bioactive microcapsules described here represent a promising new strategy for the encapsulation and maintenance of primary hepatocytes and will be beneficial for liver tissue engineering,regenerative medicine,and drug testing applications.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51902353)Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(No.2019A1515011227)+1 种基金Science and Technology Innovation Strategy Special Fund of Guangdong Province(No.pdjh2020(b)0018)State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies(No.OEMT-2021-PZ-02).
文摘Sub-nanometer armchair graphene nanoribbons(GNRs)with moderate band gap have great potential towards novel nanodevices.GNRs can be synthesized in the confined tubular space of single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs),in which precursor molecules have been specifically designed to form the GNRs with certain width and edge.However,it is still unexplored how the diameter and metallicity of SWCNTs influence the synthesis of the GNRs.Herein,we applied a series of SWCNTs with different average diameters to study the diameter-dependent synthesis of GNRs.By using Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy,we found that the width of the GNRs can be tailored by the diameter of the SWCNTs.Especially,the SWCNTs with average diameter of 1.3 nm produced 6 and 7 armchair GNRs with the highest yield,which can be well explained by considering the width of the GNRs and van der Waals radius of hydrogen and carbon atoms.In addition,semiconducting and metallic SWCNTs produced GNRs with different yields,which could attribute to different diameter distributions and density of defects.These results enable the possibility of a high-yield production of certain armchair graphene nanoribbons in large scale,which would benefit future applications as semiconductor with sub-nanometer in width.
基金by the JST CREST Program for novel carbon nanotube materialsThe XAS experiments were performed at BL25SU in SPring-8 with the approval of JASRT(Proposal No.2007B1732).
文摘Crystalline ErCl_(3) nanowires have been fabricated in single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs)with high yield(~90%),and the structural and magnetic properties of the resulting ErCl_(3) nanowires encapsulated in SWCNTs(ErCl_(3)@SWCNTs)characterized.Encapsulation under high temperature and vacuum using high quality SWCNTs results in a high fi lling-ratio of ErCl_(3) nanowires in the SWCNTs.The high fi lling-ratio of ErCl_(3) nanowires and the use of highly pure SWCNTs with only a small amount of residual Fe catalyst nanoparticles enabled us to observe the magnetic properties of ErCl_(3)@SWCNTs.Structure determination based on simulated annealing calculations and high-resolution transmission electron microscope(HRTEM)image simulations revealed that the structure of the ErCl_(3) nanowires is unusual with respect to the coordination environment of the Eu3+ions.This work opens up new possibilities to fabricate various metal complex nanowires with high yield and may also be of more general importance in understanding and exploring magnetic properties in low-dimensional magnetic systems.
