Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene in Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii strains inhabiting in cold and warm sea waters.

From the biota beneath the sea ice in Lake Saroma, which is adjacent to Sea of Okhotsk, a diatom culture of Saroma 16 was isolated. Strutted processes and a labiate process in Saroma 16 were characteristic of those in Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii. Similarity search analysis showed that the 826-bp rbcL-3P region sequence of this strain was 100% identical to multiple sequences registered as T. nordenskioeldii in a public database. The 4305-bp PCR-amplified mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene (COI)-5P region of Saroma 16 included a 1060-bp open reading frame (ORF), which was interrupted by 934-bp and 2311-bp introns that included frame-shifted ORFs encoding reverse-transcriptase (RTase)-like proteins. Previous reports showed that a strain of the same species, CNS00052, originating from the East China Sea included no introns in the COI, whereas North Atlantic Ocean strains of the same species, such as CCMP992, CCMP993, and CCMP997, included a 2.3-kb intron in the same position as Saroma 16.

[A Case of Meningeal Carcinomatosis following Esophagogastric Junction Cancer Surgery].

In a 79-year-old man, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and CT revealed an entire circumferential type 3 tumor with stenosis from the lower thoracic esophagus to the abdominal esophagus. He was diagnosed with esophageal adenocarcinoma and underwent middle and lower esophageal resection and 2 regional lymph node dissections. The postoperative pathological diagnosis was poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, pT3N0M0, pStage ⅡA esophagogastric junction cancer(Siewert type Ⅱ). The patient was followed-up without postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, following the Japanese Gastric Cancer Treatment Guidelines 2021(6th edition). Six months postoperatively, contrast-enhanced CT revealed multiple lymph node, small intestinal mesenteric, and left adrenal metastases, and SOX therapy was initiated. After 4 courses of SOX therapy, the patient was brought to the emergency room and admitted with anorexia and weakness, and consciousness disorder was observed on the next day. Contrast-enhanced MRI of the head was indicative of meningeal carcinomatosis, and cytological examination of the spinal fluid revealed adenocarcinoma, which was diagnosed as meningeal carcinomatosis from esophagogastric junction carcinoma. Subsequently, his consciousness disorder worsened, and he died on the 9th day of hospitalization. We report a rare case of meningeal carcinomatosis following esophagogastric junction cancer.

[A Case of Distal Gastrectomy and Left Segmentectomy for Hepatic Invasion of Gastric Cancer].

A 66-year-old male came to our hospital because of occult blood in stool and anemia. The patient was diagnosed as unresectable advanced gastric cancer,( ML/Less, type 2, tub2, cT4b[liver], cN+, cM0, cStage Ⅳ, HER2 negative). He was given oxaliplatin plus S-1 therapy. In the 3rd course of chemotherapy, he had severe anemia, and active bleeding from the tumor. To control the bleeding he underwent distal gastrectomy, lateral segmentectomy of the liver, and S4 partial hepatectomy. The patient underwent adjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel plus S-1. Three months after surgery, lymph nodes recurrence was observed. He underwent second-line therapy with paclitaxel and ramucirumab. Seven months after surgery, lymph nodes recurrence was increased. He was switched to third-line therapy with nivolumab. He is currently arrive 12 months after surgery.

[A Case of Colon Metastasis after Surgery for Left Renal Pelvis Cancer].

The patient was a 73-year-old man. He was diagnosed with left renal pelvic carcinoma(papillary urothelial carcinoma, pT3aN0M0, Stage Ⅱ)at the age of 69. Left nephroureterectomy and partial cystectomy were performed at our hospital. At the age of 71, he was diagnosed with a recurrent bladder tumor and underwent radical cystectomy and ureteroenterostomy at a different hospital. At the age of 73, he visited our hospital with abdominal pain. Computed tomography(CT)revealed wall thickening of the descending colon and dilation of the oral tract. Emergency colonoscopy was performed. He was diagnosed with intestinal obstruction due to descending colon cancer. Colonoscopy revealed a circumferential type 2 lesion in the descending colon that was completely stenosed. Colonic stent placement was performed. A tumor biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of micropapillary adenocarcinoma. The preoperative diagnosis was descending colon cancer cT4aN2aM0, cStage Ⅲc. One month after stent placement, an open segmental resection of the descending colon with D2 dissection was performed. Immunostaining of the specimen showed CK7(+)and CK20(-), and the postoperative diagnosis was a recurrence of left renal pelvic carcinoma in the descending colon. We report a rare case of renal pelvic carcinoma that recurred in the descending colon 4 years after initial surgery.

Optimum conditions for high-speed solid-liquid separation by ballasted flocculation.

In the ballasted flocculation, high-speed sedimentation of suspensions is achieved using a microsand as a ballast material and a polymer flocculant combined with microflocs made of polyaluminum chloride (PAC) as an inorganic coagulant. In this study, three turbid water samples containing kaolin clay (kaolin concentration: 20, 200, and 500 mg/L) were treated by coagulation-sedimentation and ballasted flocculation. The effects of pH and PAC dosage, which are the controlling parameters for coagulation, and the microsand (silica sand) and polymer dosages, which are the controlling parameters for ballasted treatment, on the treatment efficiency and floc settling velocity were examined. The floc settling velocity under the optimum conditions was 17 times higher than that of the conventional coagulation-sedimentation process using PAC. The turbidity was 0.54 turbidity unit (TU) (TU as the kaolin standard), and its removal efficiency was 99.7%. Furthermore, turbid water samples with different kaolin concentrations (20 and 500 mg/L) were treated via the ballasted flocculation. In this study, fundamental information on the optimization of each dosage condition of coagulant, ballast, and polymer and pH condition in ballasted flocculation was obtained, and the removal mechanisms under optimal, underoptimistic and overoptimistic conditions were proposed.

Simultaneous detection of various pathogenic Escherichia coli in water by sequencing multiplex PCR amplicons.

Waterborne diseases due to pathogen contamination in water are a serious problem all over the world. Accurate and simultaneous detection of pathogens in water is important to protect public health. In this study, we developed a method to simultaneously detect various pathogenic Escherichia coli by sequencing the amplicons of multiplex PCR. Our newly designed multiplex PCR amplified five genes for pathogenic E. coli (uidA, stx1, stx2, STh gene, and LT gene). Additional two PCR assays (for aggR and eae) were also designed and included in the amplicon sequencing analysis. The same assays were also used for digital PCR (dPCR). Strong positive correlations were observed between the sequence read count and the dPCR results for most of the genes targeted, suggesting that our multiplex PCR-amplicon sequencing approach could provide quantitative information. The method was also successfully applied to monitor the level of pathogenic E. coli in river water and wastewater samples. The approach shown here could be expanded by targeting genes for other pathogens.

Effects of High Irradiance and Low Water Temperature on Photoinhibition and Repair of Photosystems in Marimo (Aegagropila linnaei) in Lake Akan, Japan.

The green alga Aegagropila linnaei often forms spherical aggregates called "marimo" in Lake Akan in Japan. In winter, marimo are exposed to low water temperatures at 1-4 °C but protected from strong sunlight by ice coverage, which may disappear due to global warming. In this study, photoinhibition in marimo was examined at 2 °C using chlorophyll fluorescence and 830 nm absorption. Filamentous cells of A. linnaei dissected from marimo were exposed to strong light at 2 °C. Photosystem II (PSII) was markedly photoinhibited, while photosystem I was unaffected. When the cells with PSII damaged by the 4 h treatment were subsequently illuminated with moderate repair light at 2 °C, the maximal efficiency of PSII was recovered to the level before photoinhibition. However, after the longer photoinhibitory treatments, PSII efficiency did not recover by the repair light. When the cells were exposed to simulated diurnal light for 12 h per day, which was more ecological, the cells died within a few days. Our results showed new findings of the PSII repair at 2 °C and serious damage at the cellular level from prolonged high-light treatments. Further, we provided a clue to what may happen to marimo in Lake Akan in the near future.

Photosystem I in low light-grown leaves of Alocasia odora, a shade-tolerant plant, is resistant to fluctuating light-induced photoinhibition.

When intact green leaves are exposed to the fluctuating light, in which high light (HL) and low light (LL) alternate, photosystem I (PSI) is readily damaged. This PSI inhibition is mostly alleviated by the addition of far-red (FR) light. Here, we grew Alocasia odora, a shade-tolerant species, at several light levels and examined their photosynthetic traits in relation to the fluctuating light-induced PSI inhibition. We found that, even in the absence of FR, PSI in LL-grown leaves was resistant to the fluctuating light. LL leaves showed higher chlorophyll (Chl) contents on leaf area basis, lower Chl a/b ratios, lower cytochrome f/P700 ratios, and lower PSII/PSI excitation ratios assessed by the 77 K fluorescence. Also, P700 in the HL phase of the fluctuating light was more oxidized. The results of the regression analyses of the PSI photoinhibition to these traits indicate that the lower electron flow rate to P700 and more excitation energy transfer to PSI protect PSI in LL-grown leaves. Both of these contribute oxidization of P700 to the efficient quencher form P700+. These features may be common in LL-grown shade-tolerant species, which are often exposed to strong sunflecks in their natural habitats.

Short-Term Outcomes from a Randomized Screening Phase II Non-inferiority Trial Comparing Omentectomy and Omentum Preservation for Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer: the TOP-G Trial.

BACKGROUND: Omentectomy is considered an essential part of curative gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer (GC), albeit without solid evidence. We conducted a randomized phase II trial (the TOP-G trial) comparing omentectomy and omentum preservation for gastric cancer. This report describes the short-term findings regarding the trial's secondary endpoints. METHODS: The trial protocol was submitted to the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry ( http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/ : UMIN000005421). The key eligibility criteria were histologically confirmed cT2-4a and N0-2 gastric adenocarcinoma. Short-term surgical outcomes, including morbidity and mortality, were compared between the omentectomy group (group A, control arm) and the omentum-preserving surgery group (group B, test arm). All procedures were performed via an open approach. Based on a non-inferiority margin of 7%, statistical power of 0.7, and type I error of 0.2, the sample size was set to 250 patients. RESULTS: A total of 251 patients were eligible and randomized (group A: 125 patients, group B: 126 patients) between April 2011 and October 2018. After excluding patients who had peritoneal metastasis or laparotomy history, safety outcomes were analyzed for 247 patients. Group A had a significantly longer median operation time (225 min vs. 204 min, p = 0.022) and tended to have greater median blood loss (260 mL vs. 210 mL p = 0.073). The incidences of morbidity were similar and < 10% in both groups (8% vs. 9%, p = 1.000). There was no mortality in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Operative risk was generally similar between omentectomy and omentum-preserving surgery for locally advanced gastric cancer.

Enhancement of sunlight irradiation for wastewater disinfection by mixing with seawater.

There is a need for developing a simple and easy-to-maintain disinfection technique for sewage treatment for use in developing countries and disaster-affected areas. We propose a novel disinfection technology that inactivates bacteria in wastewater via sunlight irradiation under high salt concentration by mixing with seawater. The disinfection efficiency of the proposed method was quantitatively evaluated and examined using fecal indicator bacteria. When the salinity in wastewater was adjusted to 30 practical salinity units by mixing with seawater, the constant of inactivation irradiation energy Ks (m2/MJ) was 1.6-2.2-fold greater than that without seawater for total coliforms and Escherichia coli. By contrast, although enterococci were inactivated by sunlight irradiation, an increase in salinity did not enhance disinfection. On setting the irradiation energy of sunlight to 5.5 MJ/m2, >99% of the fecal indicator bacteria were inactivated. Finally, we examined the relationship between the attenuation of irradiance and water depth and accordingly proposed a design of a treatment system wherein wastewater and seawater were adequately mixed and passed via a disinfection tank under the natural flow with sunlight irradiation.

Far-Red Light Accelerates Photosynthesis in the Low-Light Phases of Fluctuating Light.

It is well known that far-red light (FR; >700 nm) drives PSI photochemistry, but its effect on photosynthetic performance has received little attention. In this study, the effects of the addition of FR to red fluctuating light (FL) have on photosynthesis were examined in the leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana. Light-activated leaves were illuminated with FL [alternating high light/low light (HL/LL) at 800/30 µmol m-2 s-1] for 10-15 min without or with FR at intensities that reflected natural conditions. The CO2 assimilation rates upon the transition from HL to LL were significantly greater with FR than without FR. The enhancement of photosynthesis by FR was small under the steady-state conditions and in the HL phases of FL. Proton conductivity through the thylakoid membrane (gH+) in the LL phases of FL, estimated from the dark relaxation kinetics of the electrochromic absorbance shift, was greater with FR than without FR. The relaxation of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) in the PSII antenna system and the increase in PSII photochemistry in the LL phases accelerated in the presence of FR. Similar FR-effects in FL were confirmed in typical sun and shade plants. On the basis of these results, we concluded that FR exerted beneficial effects on photosynthesis in FL by exciting PSI and accelerating NPQ relaxation and PSII-yield increase. This was probably because of the increased gH+, which would reflect faster ΔpH dissipation and ATP synthesis.

Effect of Mastication Muscle Activity on Prefrontal Cortex NIRS Measurement: A Pilot Study.

Changes in NIRS signals are related to changes in local cerebral blood flow or oxy-Hb concentration. On the other hand, recent studies have revealed the effect of chewing gum on cognitive performance, stress control etc. which accompanied brain activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). However, these relationships are still controversial. To evaluate the chewing effect on PFC, NIRS seems to be a suitable method of imaging such results. When measuring NIRS on PFC, blood volume in superficial tissues (scalp, skin, muscle) might have some affect. The aim of the present study was to clarify the effect of the anterior temporal muscle on NIRS signals during gum chewing. Eight healthy volunteers participated. Two-channel NIRS (HOT-1000, NeU, Japan), which can distinguish total-Hb concentrations in deep tissue and superficial tissue layers, was used. In addition to a conventional optode separation distance of 3.0 cm, Hot 1000 has a short distance of 1.0 cm (NEAR channel) to measure NIRS signals that originate exclusively from surface tissues. NIRS probes were placed at Fp1 and Fp2 in the normal probe setting. The headset was displaced to the left in order to allow the left probe to be placed over the left anterior temporal muscle. In the normal setting, the superficial signal curve shows no notable change; however, the neural (calculated and defined in HOT-1000) and deep curves show an increase during the gum chewing task. At the deviated setting, all three signals show marked changes during the task. Total-Hb concentration in the deviated probe setting is significantly large (p < 0.05) than that of in the normal probe setting. When using gum chewing as a task, it would be better to consider a probe position carefully so that the influence of muscle activity on NIRS signal can be distinguished.

Mixed cell type in airway inflammation is the dominant phenotype in asthma patients with severe chronic rhinosinusitis.

BACKGROUND: Asthma often coexists with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Recent studies revealed that sinus inflammation in asthmatic patients was related to eosinophilic inflammation. However, the relationship between the severity of CRS and four different sputum inflammatory phenotypes as defined by the proportion of eosinophils and neutrophils is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the severity of CRS on lower airway and systemic inflammation in asthmatic patients. METHODS: We enrolled 57 adult asthmatic patients who underwent sinus computed tomography (CT). The severity of CRS was evaluated by the Lund-Mackay score (LMS). The induced sputum inflammatory phenotype was defined by eosinophils (≥/<2%) and neutrophils (≥/<60%). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected to examine cytokine productions. RESULTS: The median LMS of subjects was 6 (interquartile range, 0-11.5). The sputum inflammatory cell phenotype was categorized as paucicellular (n = 14), neutrophilic (n = 11), eosinophilic (n = 20), or mixed (n = 12). LMS was positively correlated with the percentage of blood eosinophils, sputum eosinophils, and mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of IL-5 on CD4+ T cells. In the severe CRS group (LMS, 12-24), the number of mixed cellular phenotypes was higher than that in the group without CRS (LMS, 0-4) and mild-to-moderate CRS group (LMS, 5-11). CONCLUSIONS: In asthmatic patients with severe CRS, the proportion of the mixed cellular inflammatory phenotype was increased as well as eosinophilic inflammation.

[A Case of Undifferentiated Intestinal Carcinoma].

Undifferentiated cancer of the small intestine has a poor prognosis and has rarely been reported.We report a case of undifferentiated intestinal carcinoma.A 55-year-old man presented with epigastralgia in December 2018. Blood test results showed a high degree of anemia.Contrast -enhanced abdominal CT showed a small intestinal tumor with a diffuse thickened wall along with multiple liver metastases.Capsule endoscopy revealed a bleeding tumor.It was diagnosed as carcinoma by transhepatic-ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy.Given the preoperative diagnosis of intestinal carcinoma, we resected the tumor along with a part of the small intestine and the enlarged lymph nodes.The pathological diagnosis was undifferentiated intestinal carcinoma.The patient was discharged on the 6th postoperative day after surgery.He was scheduled to receive postoperative chemotherapy.There was no evidence of undifferentiated intestinal carcinoma.Herein, we review case reports from the literature.

Simulating the Advection and Degradation of the Environmental DNA of Common Carp along a River.

The environmental DNA (eDNA) method is a novel technique for precise and efficient biological surveillance. Although eDNA has been widely used to monitor various freshwater organisms, eDNA dynamics in streams remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the eDNA dynamics of common carp ( Cyprinus carpio) in a forested headwater stream affected by the effluent from a carp farm. We evaluated the longitudinal variation in carp eDNA along a river downstream from the farm and performed a temporal eDNA decay experiment using digital polymerase chain reaction. On the basis of the resulting decay constants, we built a model to simulate the advection and degradation of eDNA along the studied river. The observed eDNA flux (concentration multiplied by flow rate) decreased exponentially with distance downstream from the farm, and eDNA was detected 3 km downstream of the farm. Although the water temperatures were similar, the eDNA decay constant was lower in autumn than in summer. The simulated eDNA concentration was markedly larger (>10 times) than the observed concentration, suggesting that eDNA removal is accelerated in the stream environment compared to in conventional experimental settings.

Bacterial flora analysis of coliforms in sewage, river water, and ground water using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

The aim of this study was to rapidly and effectively analyze coliforms, which are the most fundamental indicators of water quality for fecal pollution, using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Coliform bacteria were isolated from municipal sewage, river water, and groundwater. For each sample, 100 isolates were determined by MALDI-TOF MS. In addition, these same 100 isolates were also identified via 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Obtained MALDI-TOF MS data were compared with the 16S rRNA sequencing analysis, and the validity of MALDI-TOF MS for classification of coliform bacteria was examined. The concordance rate of bacterial identification for the 100 isolates obtained by MALDI-TOF MS analysis and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis for sewage, river water, and ground water were 96%, 74%, and 62% at the genus level, respectively. Among the sewage, river water, and ground water samples, the coliform bacterial flora were distinct. The dominant genus of coliforms in sewage, river water, and groundwater were Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., and Serratia spp., respectively. We determined that MALDI-TOF MS is a rapid and accurate tool that can be used to identify coliforms. Therefore, without using conventional 16S rRNA sequencing, it is possible to rapidly and effectively classify coliforms in water using MALDI-TOF MS.

Photoprotection of PSI by Far-Red Light Against the Fluctuating Light-Induced Photoinhibition in Arabidopsis thaliana and Field-Grown Plants.

It has been reported that PSI photoinhibition is induced even in wild-type plants of Arabidopsis thaliana, rice and other species by exposure of leaves to fluctuating light (FL) for a few hours. Because plants are exposed to FL in nature, they must possess protective mechanisms against the FL-induced photodamage. Here, using A. thaliana grown at various irradiances, we examined PSI photoprotection by far-red (FR) light at intensities comparable with those observed in nature. Dark-treated leaves were illuminated by red FL alternating high/low light at 1,200/30 µmol m-2 s-1 for 800 ms/10 s. By this FL treatment without FR light for 120 min, the level of photo-oxidizable P700 was decreased by 30% even in the plants grown at high irradiances. The addition of continuous FR light during the FL suppressed this damage almost completely. With FR light, P700 was kept in a more oxidized state in both low- and high-light phases. The protective effect of FR light was diminished more in mutants of the NADH dehydrogenase-like complex (NDH)-mediated cyclic electron flow around PSI (CEF-PSI) than in the PGR5 (proton gradient regulation 5)-mediated CEF-PSI, indicating that the NDH-mediated CEF-PSI would be a major contributor to PSI photoprotection in the presence of FR light. We also confirmed that PSI photoinhibition decreased with the increase in growth irradiance in A. thaliana and field-grown plants, and that this PSI photodamage was largely suppressed by addition of FR light. These results clearly indicate that the most effective PSI protection is realized in the presence of FR light.

PFC Blood Oxygenation Changes in Four Different Cognitive Tasks.

Aging often results in a decline in cognitive function, related to alterations in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation. Maintenance of this function in an aging society is an important issue. Some practices/drills, moderate exercise, mastication, and a cognitive task itself could enhance cognitive function. In this validation study, before evaluating the effects of some drills on the elderly, we examined the neural substrate of blood oxygenation changes by the use of four cognitive tasks and fNIRS. Seven healthy volunteers (mean age 25.3 years) participated in this study. Each task session was designed in a block manner; 4 periods of rests (30 s) and 3 blocks of four tasks (30 s). The tasks used were: a computerized Stroop test, a Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, a Sternberg working memory paradigm, and a semantic verbal fluency task. The findings of the study are that all four tasks activated PFC to some extent, without laterality except for the verbal fluency task. The results confirm that NIRS is suitable for measurement of blood oxygenation changes in frontal brain areas that are associated with all four cognitive tasks.

[Four Cases of Locally Advanced Colorectal Cancer Resected after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 plus Bevacizumab].

We describe 4 cases of locally advanced colorectal cancer resected successfully after neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC) conducted between April 2015 and August 2016. The NAC with mFOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab was performed after ileostomy for prevention of obstruction, because of tumor invasion into other organs. After chemotherapy, we could perform resection and avoid invasive surgery in either cases.

Surgical advantages of reduced-port laparoscopic gastrectomy in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Although a few studies have reported the use of reduced-port laparoscopic gastrectomy (RPG) in gastric cancer patients, the feasibility of routinely using this technique remains unclear. It is therefore important to evaluate the surgical advantages of this technique in this patient group. METHODS: Between August 2010 and July 2015, 165 patients underwent RPGs at our hospital, performed by a single surgeon. Of these patients, 88 underwent reduced-port laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (RPLDG) and 77 underwent reduced-port laparoscopic total gastrectomy (RPLTG). In addition to short-term surgical outcomes after RPG, survival times and the surgical learning curve were also evaluated. RESULTS: Blood losses during lymph node dissection in the RPLDG and RPLTG groups were not significantly different (p = 0.160). Conversion to open surgery was necessary in only two patients. Postoperative morbidities were observed in 14.8 % of the RPLDG group and 14.3 % of the RPLTG group, but there were no deaths. Most patients expressed high cosmetic satisfaction in both groups. In the RPLDG group, operation time during reconstruction decreased over the first 50 cases and then plateaued, as the surgeon's experience of the technique increased. In contrast, in the RPLTG group, operation times dropped with surgical experience for both lymph node dissection, plateauing after 40 cases, and for reconstruction, plateauing after 30 cases. Only three patients died of gastric cancer in the follow-up period and three patients died of other diseases. Five-year overall survival and 5-year disease-specific survival were 95.6 and 98.0 %, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that reduced-port gastrectomy (RPG) could be an acceptable and satisfactory procedure for treating gastric cancer for an experienced laparoscopic gastric surgeon who has sufficient previous experience of conventional laparoscopic gastrectomies.