A Question and Answer E-Mail System for Responding to Query from the General Public with Which the System Manager Can Identify Delayed Replies

We constructed a question and answer system for direct delivery of E-mail queries from the general public to the proper hospital representative and with which the system administrator can monitor E-mail replies. The system consists of two sub-systems; one is an E-mail questionnaire sub-system that automatically delivers E-mail queries to the proper person and an E-mail reply monitor sub-system with which the system administrator can monitor the E-mail replies. The monitor system compares the origin address of the E-mail reply and the destination address on a questionnaire filled out at the time the query is made. In a test of the system, 56 queries were received in 31 days, with 37 replied to. The interval from receipt of an E-mail query to reply was calculated. Nineteen replies were submitted within 2 days.     

Small follicular lymphoma arising near the ampulla of vater

A 49-yr-old Japanese woman underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy because of nonspecific dyspepsia. Endoscopy revealed a flat elevated lesion about 15 mm in diameter adjacent to the duodenal papilla, the surface of which was uneven and covered with whitish granules. Based on the results of histological examination with immunohistochemistry (positive for CD10, CD20, CD79a, and bcl-2 protein, negative for CD5 and cyclin D1), a diagnosis of grade 1/3 follicular lymphoma was established. Systemic staging examinations suggested the lymphoma was restricted to the mucosa and superficial portion of the submucosa in the duodenal wall. The patient was treated with a combination of CHOP chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone) and monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody (rituximab), in addition to radiotherapy. After six courses of this combination chemotherapy, complete regression of the lymphoma was observed. Although reports of small duodenal lymphoma (<20 mm or localized to the mucosa or submucosa) are extremely rare, the features of this case are characteristic of small duodenal lymphoma in terms of evolution around the ampulla of Vater, low-grade follicular type, occurrence in a women, occurrence in the fourth decade of life, and favorable outcome, and this type of tumor may need to be distinguished by pathogenesis and clinical behavior from various other gastrointestinal lymphomas.     

Tumor endothelial cells with high aldehyde dehydrogenase activity show drug resistance

Tumor blood vessels play an important role in tumor progression and metastasis. We previously reported that tumor endothelial cells (TEC) exhibit several altered phenotypes compared with normal endothelial cells (NEC). For example, TEC have chromosomal abnormalities and are resistant to several anticancer drugs. Furthermore, TEC contain stem cell‐like populations with high aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity (ALDH^high TEC). ALDH^high TEC have proangiogenic properties compared with ALDH^low TEC. However, the association between ALDH^high TEC and drug resistance remains unclear. In the present study, we found that ALDH mRNA expression and activity were higher in both human and mouse TEC than in NEC. Human NEC:human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC) were treated with tumor‐conditioned medium (tumor CM). The ALDH^high population increased along with upregulation of stem‐related genes such as multidrug resistance 1, CD90, ALP, and Oct‐4. Tumor CM also induced sphere‐forming ability in HMVEC. Platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF)‐A in tumor CM was shown to induce ALDH expression in HMVEC. Finally, ALDH^high TEC were resistant to fluorouracil (5‐FU) in vitro and in vivo. ALDH^high TEC showed a higher grade of aneuploidy compared with that in ALDH^low TEC. These results suggested that tumor‐secreting factor increases ALDH^high TEC populations that are resistant to 5‐FU. Therefore, ALDH^high TEC in tumor blood vessels might be an important target to overcome or prevent drug resistance.     

A gastrointestinal stromal tumor in the stomach: usefulness of computed tomographic volumetry

We report herein the case of a 70-year-old man who was found to have a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) in the stomach following sigmoid colon resection. Preoperative gastroscopic and barium examinations revealed a submucosal tumor, measuring 10cm, on the upper part of the stomach. Using computed tomography (CT) images (i.e., computed tomographic volumetry) the doubling time of this tumor was calculated, accurately, as 3.3 months, which suggested a high growth rate and malignancy. A laparotomy and partial gastric resection were performed. Histologically, the tumor consisted of spindle-shaped cells with oval nuclei. In immunohistochemical studies, the tumor cells were positive with respect to c-kit, CD34, and vimentin, but negative with respect to smooth muscle actin and S-100 protein. There were 15–16 mitoses per 50 high-power fields (HPFs), and the Ki-67 antigen (MIB-1) index was 25.5% in the most active areas, which also indicated malignancy. The final pathological diagnosis of this tumor was malignant GIST. The patient was found to have hepatic metastasis 27 months after the surgery, and he subsequently received a hepatic subsegmentectomy. To our knowledge, there are very few reports concerning the growth rate of GISTs. Computed tomographic volumetry is useful for the follow-up of small or irregularly shaped gastric submucosal tumors, and for making decisions regarding surgical intervention.     

Inhibition of Liver Metastasis of Human Gastric Carcinoma by Angiogenesis Inhibitor TNP-470

The anti-tumor and anti-metastatic effects of TNP-470, an angiogenesis inhibitor, and mitomycin C (MMC), a representative anti-neoplastic agent, were investigated using our established liver-metastasizing gastric carcinoma line, AZ-H5c. AZ-H5c was injected into the spleen of nude mice which had been randomly divided into 4 groups; a control group given saline solution, a group receiving 15 mg/kg TNP-470, a group receiving 30 mg/kg TNP-470 and a group receiving 2 mg/kg MMC. TNP-470 was given s.c. on alternate days for 5 weeks from day 10 after intrasplenic injection, and MMC was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) once a week from day 10 after intrasplenic injection. In the control group, liver metastasis developed in 13 of 16 mice (81%). Liver metastasis developed in 6 of 11 mice (55%) receiving MMC. In contrast, liver metastasis developed in 4 of 8 mice (50%) receiving 15 mg/Kg TNP-470, and in 0 of 14 mice (0%) receiving 30 mg/kg TNP-470. However, TNP-470 had no effect on the tumor growth. These results indicate that the angiogenesis inhibitor TNP-470 has a strong inhibitory activity against in vivo liver metastasis of human gastric carcinoma.     

Strengthening Process by Electron Beam to Carbon Fiber for Impact Strength Enhancement of Interlayered Thermoplastic-Polypropylene Carbon Fiber Composite

Strong adhesion between recyclable thermoplastic (TP) polymer and carbon fiber (CF) has always been highly sought after. Therefore, for an interlayered CF reinforced TP polypropylene (CFRTPP) composite composed of 3 sized CF plies, alternating between 4 PP sheets, designated [PP]₄[CF]₃, a process of activating CF plies directly on both sides with homogeneous low energy electron beam irradiation (EBI) under N₂ gas, prior to lamination assembly and hot press of 4.0 MPa at 493 K for 3 min was carried out. Experimental results showed EBI dose of 43.2, 129, or 216 kGy significantly raised Charpy impact values, a_uc at all fracture probabilities, P_f. The 129 kGy dose appeared to be at or near optimum increasing a_uc 103%, 83%, and 65% at low-, median-, and high-P_f = 0.07, 0.50, and 0.93; while raising statistically lowest impact value, a_s at P_f = 0 calculated by 3-dimensional Weibull equation about 110%, indicating increased safety and reliability. It is assumed dangling bonds generated by the EBI rapidly form covalent bonds CF:C:O:C:PP and CF:C:C:PP at the interface, along with cross-linking in the PP near the CF. This is by charge transfer from CF to PP.     

Biodegradable Polymer Nanosheets Incorporated with Zn-Containing Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

So far, poly(L-lactic acid), PLLA nanosheets proved to be promising for wound healing. Such biodegradable materials are easy to prepare, bio-friendly, cost-effective, simple to apply and were shown to protect burn wounds and facilitate their healing. At the same time, certain metal ions are known to be essential for wound healing, which is why this study was motivated by the idea of incorporating PLLA nanosheets with Zn²⁺ ion containing nanoparticles. Upon being applied on wound, such polymer nanosheets should release Zn²⁺ ions, which is expected to improve wound healing. The work thus focused on preparing PLLA nanosheets embedded with several kinds of Zn-containing nanoparticles, their characterization and ion-release behavior. ZnCl₂ and ZnO nanoparticles were chosen because of their different solubility in water, with the intention to see the dynamics of their Zn²⁺ ion release in liquid medium with pH around 7.4. Interestingly, the prepared PLLA nanosheets demonstrated quit similar ion release rates, reaching the maximum concentration after about 10 h. This finding implies that such polymer materials can be promising as they are expected to release ions within several hours after their application on skin.