Exposure to an atomic bomb explosion is a risk factor for in-hospital death after esophagectomy to treat esophageal cancer

Esophagectomy, one of the most invasive of all gastrointestinal operations, is associated with a high frequency of postoperative complications and in-hospital mortality. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether exposure to the atomic bomb explosion at Hiroshima in 1945 might be a preoperative risk factor for in-hospital mortality after esophagectomy in esophageal cancer patients. We thus reviewed the outcomes of esophagectomy in 31 atomic bomb survivors with esophageal cancer and 96 controls (also with cancer but without atomic bomb exposure). We compared the incidences of postoperative complications and in-hospital mortality. Of the clinicopathological features studied, mean patient age was significantly higher in atomic bomb survivors than in controls. Of the postoperative complications noted, atomic bomb survivors experienced a longer mean period of endotracheal intubation and higher incidences of severe pulmonary complications, severe anastomotic leakage, and surgical site infection. The factors associated with in-hospital mortality were exposure to the atomic bomb explosion, pulmonary comorbidities, and electrocardiographic abnormalities. Multivariate analysis revealed that exposure to the atomic bomb explosion was an independent significant preoperative risk factor for in-hospital mortality. Exposure to the atomic bomb explosion is thus a preoperative risk factor for in-hospital death after esophagectomy to treat esophageal cancer.

Automatic droplet transportation on a plastic microfluidic device having wettability gradient surface

This paper presents a microfluidic device that can automatically transport a droplet on a plastic plate. This device consists of a Cyclo Olefin Polymer (COP) plate and a SiO2 membrane and has wettability gradient surface. Lithographic patterns of hydrophilic SiO2 permitted wettability modification of a hydrophobic COP surface. A series of alternate hydrophobic and hydrophilic wedge-shaped patterns generated a required gradient in wettability. When we dropped a droplet on the wettability gradient surface, it moved along the wettability gradient due to an imbalance between surface tension forces acting on the opposite sides of the droplet edge. The droplet transportation test was carried out using water of 5 μl. As a result, we succeeded in automatically transporting the droplet on the SiO2/COP wettability gradient pattern. We also carried out droplet transportation in an enclosed microchannel for preventing droplet evaporation using DI (Deionized) water of 5 μl. In this case, the droplet was automatically transported by forming the wettability gradient pattern at the top and bottom in an enclosed microchannel without evaporation.

Anisotropy of the superconducting gap in the iron-based superconductor BaFe2(As(1-x)P(x))2

We report peculiar momentum-dependent anisotropy in the superconducting gap observed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy in BaFe₂(As_1-xP_x)₂ (x = 0.30, T_c = 30 K). Strongly anisotropic gap has been found only in the electron Fermi surface while the gap on the entire hole Fermi surfaces are nearly isotropic. These results are inconsistent with horizontal nodes but are consistent with modified s_± gap with nodal loops. We have shown that the complicated gap modulation can be theoretically reproduced by considering both spin and orbital fluctuations.

First results of electron temperature measurements by the use of multi-pass Thomson scattering system in GAMMA 10

A multi-pass Thomson scattering (TS) has the advantage of enhancing scattered signals. We constructed a multi-pass TS system for a polarisation-based system and an image relaying system modelled on the GAMMA 10 TS system. We undertook Raman scattering experiments both for the multi-pass setting and for checking the optical components. Moreover, we applied the system to the electron temperature measurements in the GAMMA 10 plasma for the first time. The integrated scattering signal was magnified by approximately three times by using the multi-pass TS system with four passes. The electron temperature measurement accuracy is improved by using this multi-pass system.

Development of a cell culture surface conversion technique using alginate thin film for evaluating effect upon cellular differentiation

Here, we sought to develop a cell culture surface conversion technique that would not damage living cells. An alginate thin film, formed on a glass plate by spin coating of sodium alginate solution and dipping into calcium chloride solution, was used to inhibit adhesion of cells. The film could be removed by ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) at any time during cell culture, permitting observation of cellular responses to conversion of the culture surface in real time. Additionally, we demonstrated the validity of the alginate thin film coating method and the performance of the film. The thickness of the alginate thin film was controlled by varying the rotation speed during spin coating. Moreover, the alginate thin film completely inhibited the adhesion of cultured cells to the culture surface, irrespective of the thickness of the film. When the alginate thin film was removed from the culture surface by EDTA, the cultured cells adhered to the culture surface, and their morphology changed. Finally, we achieved effective differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts into myotube cells by cell culture on the convertible culture surface, demonstrating the utility of our novel technique.

Reliability of pain tolerance threshold testing by applying an electrical current stimulus to the alveolar ridge

The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of testing pain tolerance threshold (PTT) by applying an electrical current stimulus to the alveolar ridge. Twenty volunteers studying or working at the Nihon University School of Dentistry at Matsudo participated in this study. Participants were seated comfortably on a dental chair in a quiet room during testing. A single operator obtained mucosal PTT measurements around the right greater palatine foramen using a Neurometer CPT/C(®) device (Neurotron Inc., Baltimore, MD, USA) to deliver electrical stimulation at frequencies of 5, 250 and 2000 Hz. The participant released a button to automatically discontinue the stimulus when it could no longer be tolerated. Two types of factors were confirmed: the consistency of repeated measurements and a potential carry-over effect on PTTs. The consistency and carry-over effects of pain with regard to PTT measurements were analysed via Cronbach's coefficient α. The Cronbach's coefficient α of PTTs calculated more than 6 days of PTT testing at 5, 250 and 2000 Hz was 0.97, 0.95 and 0.97, respectively, suggesting that the consistency of the measurements was excellent. The Cronbach's coefficient α calculated when the three frequencies of 5, 250 and 2000 Hz were applied in different orders was 0.91, 0.87 and 0.90, respectively, suggesting no carry-over effect. In conclusion, the measurement of PTTs at the alveolar ridge as assessed by applying an electrical current stimulus with an electro-diagnostic device exhibited excellent reliability, and thus, it constitutes a widely available option for PTT measurement in the clinical setting.

Oxidative DNA damage in human esophageal cancer: clinicopathological analysis of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine and its repair enzyme

Both internal and external oxidative stresses act on DNA and can induce carcinogenesis. 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is an indicator of oxidative stress and it leads to transversion mutations and carcinogenesis. 8-OHdG is excision-repaired by 8-OHdG DNA glycosylase (OGG1). The purpose of this study is to clarify the effect of oxidative DNA damage and repair enzymes on esophageal carcinogenesis. The levels of 8-OHdG and OGG1 were immunohistochemically evaluated in resected specimens, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in 97 patients with esophageal cancer. Higher levels of 8-OHdG in normal esophageal epithelium were associated with a higher smoking index (P = 0.0464). The 8-OHdG level was higher in cancerous areas than in normal epithelia (P = 0.0061), whereas OGG1 expression was weaker in cancerous areas than in normal epithelia (P < 0.0001). An increase of OGG1 expression in normal epithelium was observed as 8-OHdG levels increased (P = 0.0011). However, this correlation was not observed in cancerous areas. High OGG1 expression in the cytoplasm was related to deeper tumors (P = 0.0023), node metastasis (P = 0.0065) and stage (P = 0.0019). Oxidative DNA damage, which is attributable to smoking as well as disturbances in DNA repair systems, appears to be closely related to esophageal carcinogenesis and its progression.