Expression and characterization of α-1,3-glucanase from Paenibacillus alginolyticus NBRC15375, which is classified into subgroup 2 (minor group) of GH family 87.

Bacterial α-1,3-glucanase, classified as glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 87, has been divided into 3 subgroups based on differences in gene sequences in the catalytic domain. The enzymatic properties of subgroups 1 and 3 of several bacteria have been previously investigated and reported; however, the chemical characterization of subgroup 2 enzymes has not been previously conducted. The α-1,3-glucanase gene from Paenibacillus alginolyticus NBRC15375 (PaAgl) belonging to subgroup 2 of GH family 87 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. PgAgl-N1 (subgroup 3) and PgAgl-N2 (subgroup 1) from P. glycanilyticus NBRC16188 were expressed in E. coli, and their enzymatic characteristics were compared. The amino acid sequence of PaAgl demonstrated that the homology was significantly lower in other subgroups when only the catalytic domain was compared. The oligosaccharide products of the mutan-degrading reaction seemed to have different characteristics among subgroups 1, 2, and 3 in GH family 87.

Salivary metabolites as potential predictive biomarkers for lung surgery complications: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: Saliva is often used as a tool for identifying systemic diseases because of the noninvasive nature of its collection. Moreover, salivary metabolites can be potential predictive factors for postoperative survival. We conducted the present study to establish whether salivary metabolites can function as predictive biomarkers for lung surgery complications. METHODS: Unstimulated salivary samples were collected from 412 patients before lung surgery. Salivary metabolites were analyzed comprehensively by capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry. Clinical data with the discriminatory ability of biomarkers were assessed to predict lung surgery complications using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The primary endpoint was the risk factors for postoperative complications of Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ III. RESULTS: Postoperative complications of Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ III developed in 36 patients (8.7%). There was no postoperative 30-day mortality. Male sex (odds ratio [OR], 3.852; 95% confidence interval CI 1.455-10.199; p = 0.007) and salivary gamma-butyrobetaine (OR, 0.809; 95% CI 0.694-0.943; p = 0.007) were identified as significant risk factors for postoperative complications of Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ III. CONCLUSION: Salivary metabolites are potential noninvasive biomarkers for predicting postoperative complications of lung surgery.

Learning Curve for Thoracoscopic Individual Basilar Segmentectomy: 18-Year Experience.

BACKGROUND: Thoracoscopic anatomical individual basilar segmentectomy remains challenging owing to the deep intraparenchymal location of the hilar structures and anatomical variations. We analyzed and reported the experience and progress of thoracoscopic anatomical individual basilar segmentectomy at our university hospital. METHODS: We retrospectively examined the patients who underwent anatomical basilar segmentectomy at our institution from January 2004 to December 2021. We divided our analysis period into two parts: the first period (2004-2012) was the introductory period of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) segmentectomy, and the second period (2013-2021) was the maturity period of VATS segmentectomy. The learning curve of the leading surgeon in the second period was also evaluated based on the operative time and cumulative sum value of the operative time. RESULTS: Overall, 127 cases were evaluated, among whom 33 and 94 cases were assessed during the introductory and maturity periods of thoracoscopic segmentectomy, respectively. Age (P = 0.003) and Charlson comorbidity index (P = 0.002) were higher in the second period than in the first period. Use of a uniport (P = 0.006) was higher, and postoperative hospitalization duration (P = < 0.001) and operative time (P = 0.024) were shorter in the second period than in the first period. A learning curve obtained during the maturity period showed: The inflection point for the learning curve of thoracoscopic basilar segmentectomy was reached after 42 cases. CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated a single institution's progress and learning curve for difficult segmentectomies. This may be helpful to institutions considering performing this surgery.

[Minimally Invasive Surgery for Mediastinal Diseases in Our Institute:Innovations and Surgical Practice].

Since the early 1990s, minimally invasive surgery has been introduced in many surgical fields. The progress of technology and increased interest in minimally invasive surgery has led to innovation from surgery with a large incision to complete thoracoscopic surgery in many facilities. We started thoracoscopic mediastinal surgery in 1997 and robot-assisted mediastinal surgery in 2021. Considering the approach for anterior mediastinal tumor resection, it is necessary to fully understand tumor size, tumor location, and the existence of the tumor invasion to other organs. Especially in the case of tumors located on the cranial side above the innominate vein or thymectomy with dissection of the superior pole of the thymus, ensuring surgical field visibility is essential. In our institute, from the point of cosmetics, surgical field visibility is ensured using carbon dioxide insufflation and a sternum-lifting method. Although the number of cases is limited, we report our ingenuity and actual implementation of the techniques.

Effect of the conformer distribution on the properties of amorphous organic semiconductor films for organic light-emitting diodes.

With the remarkable improvement in the electrical and optical properties of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) in recent years, the details of the higher-order structure of vacuum-deposited amorphous organic films and its formation mechanism need to be understood. In particular, to clarify the effect of the higher-order structure on the film properties, it is necessary to analyze the molecular aggregation states in the vacuum-deposited amorphous films. Toward their deep understanding, the higher-order structure and film properties have often been discussed with relation to the surface diffusion and structural relaxation of the molecules immediately after deposition on the film surface. However, the effect of the variety of conformers, which is specific to amorphous organic materials, on the thermal and electrical properties of the films has not been deeply discussed. In this study, we focused on three structural isomers of OLED materials and discuss the effect of the conformer distribution on the molecular aggregation states and thermal and electrical properties of the vacuum-deposited films. From their comparison, we found that the properties of the film composed of a relatively small number of stable conformers are superior to those of the other two films composed of relatively large numbers of stable conformers. This superiority originates from formation of aggregates of the same conformer, which become the starting points for crystallization when the film is heated. Our detailed comparison and discussion focusing on the variety of conformers will lead to a deeper understanding of the molecular aggregation states and physical properties of amorphous organic films.

Evaluation of effects of perioperative oral care intervention on hospitalization stay and postoperative infection in patients undergoing lung cancer intervention.

PURPOSE: This retrospective study investigated the effect of perioperative oral care intervention on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing lung cancer resection, in terms of the length of postoperative hospital stay and the incidence of postoperative respiratory infections. METHODS: In total, 585 patients underwent lung resection for lung cancer, 397 received perioperative oral care intervention, whereas the remaining 188 did not. This study retrospectively investigated the demographic and clinical characteristics (including postoperative complications and postoperative hospital stay) of each group. To determine whether perioperative oral care intervention was independently associated with either postoperative hospital stay or postoperative respiratory infections, multivariate analysis, multiple regression analysis, and multivariate logistic regression analysis were conducted. RESULTS: Parameters significantly associated with a prolonged postoperative hospital stay in lung cancer surgery patients were older age, postoperative complications, increased intraoperative bleeding, more invasive operative approach (e.g., open surgery), and lack of perioperative oral care intervention (standard partial regression coefficient (ß) = 0.083, p = 0.027). Furthermore, older age and longer operative time were significant independent risk factors for the occurrence of postoperative respiratory infections. Lack of perioperative oral care intervention was a potential risk factor for the occurrence of postoperative respiratory infections, although not statistically significant (odds ratio = 2.448, 95% confidence interval = 0.966-6.204, p = 0.059). CONCLUSION: These results highlight the importance of perioperative oral care intervention prior to lung cancer surgery, in order to shorten postoperative hospital stay and reduce the risk of postoperative respiratory infections.

Adsorption Capacity of Activated Carbon-Encapsulated Hollow-Type Spherical Bacterial Cellulose Gels for Uremic Toxins in a Simulated Human Gastrointestinal Environment.

To reduce the risk of the adsorption of granular activated carbon in the gastrointestinal tract, we successfully produced a hollow-type spherical bacterial cellulose (HSBC) gel containing activated carbon with a particle size of 6 µm. In this study, the aim of which was to develop an effective formulation, we evaluated the stability of activated-carbon-encapsulating HSBC gels under various pH conditions. Activated-carbon-encapsulating HSBC gels (ACEGs) retained the activated carbon without leaking when subjected to agitation in acidic or basic environments. The saturated adsorption amount, calculated using the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, was affected by the target adsorbate and pH conditions. These results indicate that ACEGs can adsorb uremic toxins and their precursors similarly to conventional uremic toxin adsorbents while preventing direct contact between the encapsulated activated carbon and the gastrointestinal tract. Compared to powdered activated carbon, the ACEG is less likely to be adsorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, the proposed ACEG is a promising new formulation that will contribute to the treatment of renal failure and improve patients' compliance with medication.

Residual middle lobectomy after right upper or lower lobectomy: indications and outcome.

OBJECTIVES: Residual middle lobectomy after upper lobectomy and lower lobectomy differs in their indications and perioperative outcomes. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the indications and perioperative outcomes of residual middle lobectomy after upper and lower lobectomy. METHODS: The data of 14 patients who underwent residual middle lobectomy after upper or lower lobectomy between January 1997 and December 2021 were extracted and analyzed. RESULTS: Overall, six patients underwent residual middle lobectomy after upper lobectomy. The indication was second primary lung cancer in five patients and local recurrence in the hilar lymph node between the middle and lower lobar bronchi in one patient. However, one patient was treated with the R2 operation. The remaining eight patients underwent residual middle lobectomy after lower lobectomy. The indication was second primary lung cancer and bronchopleural fistula or stenosis in two and six patients, respectively. No postoperative 90-day mortality was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Residual middle lobectomy for second lung cancer after upper lobectomy is difficult because of severe hilar adhesions. Simultaneous resection of hilar structures or pulmonary artery and parenchyma might be an option. Residual middle lobectomy could be a treatment option for bronchopleural fistula or stenosis after lower lobectomy.

The preoperative assessment of thoracic wall adhesions using four-dimensional computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE: Pleural adhesions are challenging during lung cancer surgery and may be associated with a long surgery time and excessive blood loss due to pleural adhesiolysis. We used preoperative four-dimensional computed tomography to quantitatively assess parietal pleural adhesions and determine its diagnostic accuracy. METHODS: A total of 216 patients with lung cancer underwent four-dimensional computed tomography during the study period. Pleural adhesions were subsequently confirmed by surgery in 85 of these patients, whereas 126 patients had no adhesions. The movements of the tumor or target vessels (α) was tracked. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis was used to identify the relationship between adhesions and (α). RESULTS: The movement of (α) was smaller in patients with adhesions than in those without adhesions. The greater the adhesion, the shorter the movement distance (p < 0.001). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated an area under the curve for the moving (α) point at 0.71 (95% confidence interval: 0.62-0.80) in the upper lung field and at 0.75 (95% confidence interval: 0.64-0.85) in the lower field. To identify adhesions, a cut off of 11.3 mm (sensitivity = 43.6%, specificity = 93.2%) in the upper lung field and a cut off of 41.2 mm (sensitivity = 71.4%, specificity = 66.0%) in the lower lung field were established. CONCLUSIONS: Four-dimensional computed tomography is a novel and helpful modality for predicting the presence of parietal pleural adhesions. To obtain robust evidence, further accumulation of cases and re-examination of the analysis methods are needed.

Dual-portal robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (DRATS) as a reduced port RATS: early experiences in three institutions in Japan.

Background: Robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) has gained increasing interest in recent years, with most procedures performed using the conventional multiportal approach. Uniportal RATS (URATS) approaches have recently been reported in the pursuit of minimally invasive procedures. However, URATS requires specific skills. Herein, we introduce dual-portal RATS (DRATS) performed with two incisions. Methods: Data of DRATS procedures performed from December 2022 to May 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty patients with lung cancer underwent anatomical lung resections via DRATS performed by our group at three institutes. Results: Among 20 cases of planned DRATS for anatomical pulmonary resections, there were no conversions to thoracotomy and no need for extra ports. The mean surgery time was 121±60 minutes and mean console time was 91±47 minutes. The mean intraoperative blood loss volume was 9.6±12.1 g. The mean duration of chest tube drainage and hospital stay were 2±1 and 5±2 days, respectively. The mean numerical rating scale for pain was 2±1 on the first postoperative day, 1±1 on the third day, and 1±1 at discharge. There were no postoperative complications or mortalities. Conclusions: Our primary experience shows that DRATS is safe and feasible for anatomical lung resection. We consider DRATS to be a very good preliminary step in the future transition to URATS.

Thoracoscopic "cut-through" segmentectomy for small-sized lung cancer in a deep central location.

The use of segmentectomy and subsegmentectomy for the management of lung lesions is well established. However, the use of subsegmentectomy for deep seated lesions in the upper lobe is difficult because of sufficient surgical margins. Here, we present a patient whose lung lesion was in a deep central area and at the borders of three segments in the upper lobe of the right lung. We used combined subsegmentectomy (S1b + S3a) video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for this small-sized lung cancer in a deep central location.

Completion lobectomy after anatomical segmentectomy.

OBJECTIVES: Completion lobectomy (CL) after anatomical segmentectomy in the same lobe can be complicated by severe adhesions around the hilar structures and may lead to fatal bleeding and lung injury. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the perioperative outcomes of CL after anatomical segmentectomy. METHODS: Among 461 patients who underwent anatomical segmentectomy (thoracotomy, 62 patients; thoracoscopic surgery, 399 patients) between January 2005 and December 2019, data of patients who underwent CL after segmentectomy were extracted and analysed in this study. RESULTS: Eight patients underwent CL after segmentectomy. CL was performed via video-assisted thoracic surgery in 3 patients and thoracotomy in 5 patients. In each case, there were moderate to severe adhesions. Four patients required simultaneous resection of the pulmonary parenchyma and pulmonary artery. Thoracotomy was not required after thoracoscopic surgery in any patient. Two patients experienced complications (air leakage and arrhythmia). The median duration of hospitalization after CL was 6 (range, 5-7) days. No postoperative mortality or recurrence of lung cancer was observed. All the patients with lung cancer were alive and recurrence-free at the time of publication. CONCLUSIONS: Although individual adhesions render surgery difficult, CL after anatomical segmentectomy shows acceptable perioperative outcomes. However, CL by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery may be considered on a case-by-case basis depending on the initial surgery.

Thoracoscopic anatomical individual basilar segmentectomy.

OBJECTIVES: Thoracoscopic anatomical single or combined anatomical individual basilar segmentectomy, including subsegmentectomy, is technically challenging due to variations and the deep location of vessels and bronchi in the parenchyma. However, the long-term perioperative outcomes of various anatomical subsegmentectomy approaches have not been reported. Thus, we investigated the effectiveness of thoracoscopic basilar segmentectomy. METHODS: We evaluated the records of 119 patients who underwent thoracoscopic single or complex basilar segmentectomy between January 2005 and December 2020 and compared the fissure and non-fissure approach for S9 and/or S10. RESULTS: A total of 29 patients underwent single segmentectomy, and 90 patients underwent various combined anatomical segmentectomies via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and planning using three-dimensional simulation. There were 39 cases of S9 and/or S10 segmentectomy. The median chest tube in-dwell duration and postoperative hospital stay were 1 and 4 days, respectively. The postoperative morbidity (Clavien-Dindo grade II/IIIa) rate was 5.9% without perioperative mortality. Pathological examination revealed 83 cases of lung cancer, 21 cases of metastasis and 15 cases of benign lesions. The postoperative hospitalization duration showed significant differences in the perioperative outcomes between the fissure and non-fissure approaches for S9 and/or S10. CONCLUSIONS: Thoracoscopic anatomical basilar individual segmentectomy has emerged as a safe and feasible procedure. The non-fissure approach enabled anatomic resection of a single segment or combined basal segments, helped avoid dissection of an incomplete fissure and facilitated surgical outcomes similar to the fissure approach.

Transdermal electroosmotic flow generated by a porous microneedle array patch.

A microneedle array is an attractive option for a minimally invasive means to break through the skin barrier for efficient transdermal drug delivery. Here, we report the applications of solid polymer-based ion-conductive porous microneedles (PMN) containing interconnected micropores for improving iontophoresis, which is a technique of enhancing transdermal molecular transport by a direct current through the skin. The PMN modified with a charged hydrogel brings three innovative advantages in iontophoresis at once: (1) lowering the transdermal resistance by low-invasive puncture of the highly resistive stratum corneum, (2) transporting of larger molecules through the interconnected micropores, and (3) generating electroosmotic flow (EOF). In particular, the PMN-generated EOF greatly enhances the transdermal molecular penetration or extraction, similarly to the flow induced by external pressure. The enhanced efficiencies of the EOF-assisted delivery of a model drug (dextran) and of the extraction of glucose are demonstrated using a pig skin sample. Furthermore, the powering of the PMN-based transdermal EOF system by a built-in enzymatic biobattery (fructose / O2 battery) is also demonstrated as a possible totally organic iontophoresis patch.

Laparoscopic surgery for urachal remnants in pubescent children: a case series.

BACKGROUND: Various techniques are applied in laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of urachal remnants, which are less invasive and associated with lower morbidity. We herein report a case series in which we treated urachal remnants and medial umbilical ligaments using a laparoscopic approach. CASE PRESENTATION: From 2015 to 2019, seven patients (male, n = 5; female, n = 2) with a urachal remnant were treated by laparoscopic surgery in our institute. Five boys and two girls with a median age of 11 years (range 10-15 years) were enrolled in this series. The clinical results of laparoscopic treatment, the perioperative records, and the pathologic results were evaluated. The operation was performed with the use of three ports and an EZ access® (Hakko Medical, Nagano, Japan), which is a silicon cap for the wound retractor (Lap Protector®, Hakko Medical, Nagano, Japan). The removal of the urachal remnant and medial umbilical ligaments was completed with a median operative time of 92 min (range 69-128). The median hospital stay after surgery was 4 days (range 2-5). No patients developed intra-postoperative complications or recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Although our data are preliminary, complete laparoscopic removal of symptomatic urachal remnants and medial umbilical ligaments was a safe and effective minimally invasive approach, with better cosmetic outcomes.