Background
The appropriate surgical procedure for patients with upper third early gastric cancer is controversial. We compared total gastrectomy (TG) with proximal gastrectomy (PG) in this patient ...population.
Methods
A multicenter, non-randomized trial was conducted, with patients treated with PG or TG. We compared short- and long-term outcomes between these procedures.
Results
Between 2009 and 2014, we enrolled 254 patients from 22 institutions; data from 252 were included in the analysis. These 252 patients were assigned to either the PG (
n
= 159) or TG (
n
= 93) group. Percentage of body weight loss (%BWL) at 1 year after surgery, i.e., the primary endpoint, in the PG group was significantly less than that of the TG group (− 12.8% versus − 16.9%;
p
= 0.0001). For short-term outcomes, operation time was significantly shorter for PG than TG (252 min versus 303 min;
p
< 0.0001), but there were no group-dependent differences in blood loss and postoperative complications. For long-term outcomes, incidence of reflux esophagitis in the PG group was significantly higher than that of the TG group (14.5% versus 5.4%;
p
= 0.02), while there were no differences in the incidence of anastomotic stenosis between the two (5.7% versus 5.4%;
p
= 0.92). Overall patient survival rates were similar between the two groups (3-year survival rates: 96% versus 92% in the PG and TG groups, respectively;
p
= 0.49).
Conclusions
Patients who underwent PG were better able to control weight loss without worsening the prognosis, relative to those in the TG group. Optimization of a reconstruction method to reduce reflux in PG patients will be important.
Background
Although mortality associated with pancreatic surgery has decreased dramatically, high morbidity rates are still of major concern. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of, and risk ...factors for, infectious complications after pancreatic surgery.
Methods
The Japanese Society of Pancreatic Surgery conducted a multi‐institutional analysis of complications in patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) or distal pancreatectomy (DP) between January 2010 and December 2012. Risk factors that were significantly associated with infectious complications in univariable models were included in a multivariable logistic regression model, and a nomogram was created to predict the risk of infectious complications after pancreatectomy.
Results
Infectious complications occurred in 1459 (35·2 per cent) of 4147 patients in the PD group and 426 (25·2 per cent) of 1692 patients in the DP group (P < 0·001). Nine risk factors for infectious complications after PD were identified: male sex, age 70 years or more, body mass index at least 25 kg/m2, other previous malignancy, liver disease, bile contamination, duration of surgery 7 h or longer, intraoperative blood transfusion and soft pancreas. Five risk factors for infectious complications after DP were identified: chronic steroid use, smoking, duration of surgery 5 h or more, intraoperative blood transfusion and non‐laparoscopic surgery. Occurrence of a postoperative infectious complication was significantly associated with mortality and reoperation after PD (odds ratio (OR) 4·33, 95 per cent c.i. 2·01 to 9·92 and OR 3·26, 1·86 to 5·82, respectively) and DP (OR 6·32, 1·99 to 22·55; OR 3·74, 1·61 to 9·04).
Conclusion
Prolonged operating time, intraoperative blood transfusion, bile contamination (PD) and non‐laparoscopic surgery (DP) are risk factors for postoperative infectious complications that could be targeted to improve outcome after pancreatectomy.
Risk factors identified
In this paper, high-performance bottom-gate thin-film transistors (TFTs) with transparent zinc oxide (ZnO) channels have been developed. The ZnO film for active channels was deposited by RF magnetron ...sputtering. The crystallinity of the ZnO film drastically improved when it was deposited on a doublelayer SiO x /SiN x gate insulator. In order to achieve a ZnO TFT back-plane for liquid-crystal display (LCD) with the required pattern accuracy, dry etching of the ZnO film in an Ar and CH 4 chemistry has been developed. The etching rate and tapered profile of the ZnO film could be controlled by the Ar content in the etching gases of Ar and CH 4 . The saturation mobility (mu sat ) of the ZnO TFT strongly depended on a gate voltage. A mu sat of 5.2 & cm 2 .(V .s) -1 at V GS = 40 V and V DS = 10 V, and an on/off-current ratio of 2.7 x 10 7 were obtained. A drain-current uniformity of plusmn7% was achieved within a radius of 20 mm from the substrate center. A 1.46 -in diagonal LCD with 61 600 pixels has been driven by the ZnO-TFT back-plane. A moving picture image was available on fabricated LCD driven by the ZnO TFTs.
Objective
Computer simulation studies of skin models, which indicate skin compression in the same manner as facial expressions, have suggested that stratum corneum could control skin‐folding ...patterns, which may play an essential role in wrinkle formation. However, it is not clear to what extent the mechanics of stratum corneum influence wrinkle formation in vivo. The aim of this study was to verify that stratum corneum could control strain distribution during facial expressions, which in turn leads to wrinkle formation.
Methods
In experiments in vivo, volunteers were instructed to smile under 10% or 80% relative humidity (dry or humid conditions, respectively). Skin movement around their eye corners during smiling was captured by a high‐speed video camera. Particle‐tracking velocimetry was applied to video recordings to analyse skin strain distribution. Also, wrinkle volumes before or after smiling were measured using replicas.
Results
With smiling under dry conditions, high strain was localized to form crease‐shaped wrinkles whereas, under humid conditions, localized strain was dispersed. Furthermore, increased wrinkle volume after smiling was promoted under dry conditions.
Conclusion
Because exposure to dry or humid conditions in the short term could affect only stratum corneum mechanics, the present results indicated that stratum corneum could be considered to be responsible for localized strain during facial expressions. This strain is followed by residual wrinkle formation. Accumulation of residual wrinkles will produce permanent wrinkles in the long term. Improving the mechanics of stratum corneum might be an effective approach in wrinkle formation prevention.
Résumé
Objectif
Les expressions faciales peuvent avoir un rôle essentiel dans la formation des rides. Des études antérieures de simulation mécanique ont suggéré que le stratum corneum joue un rôle essentiel dans la formation des rides parce que la couche influence la distribution du pliage lors de la compression de la peau de la même manière que les expressions faciales. Cependant, on ne sait pas dans quelle mesure les mécanismes du stratum corneum influence la formation des rides in vivo. Cette étude visait à vérifier que la couche cornée peut contrôler la distribution de contrainte pendant les expressions, conduisant à la formation des rides.
Methodes
Dans les expériences in vivo, la formation des rides a été induite par sourire dans différentes conditions d'humidité à 23 ° C, à 10% ou 80% d'humidité relative pour modifier les propriétés mécaniques de la couche cornée. Le mouvement autour du coin de l'œil a été capturé par une caméra vidéo à haute vitesse. La vélocimétrie suivant les particules a été appliquée aux enregistrements vidéo pour analyser la distribution des contraintes.
Résultats
Lors d'un sourire dans des conditions sèches, une contrainte forte a été localisée formant des rides en forme de pli, tandis que, sous conditions humides (humidité relative élevée), la contrainte forte localisée a été dispersée. En outre, l'augmentation du volume des rides après sourire a été notable dans des conditions sèches.
Conclusion
Parce que l'exposition à des conditions sèches ou humides à court terme affectait seulement la mécanique de la couche cornée, nos résultats indiquent que la couche cornée est responsable de la déformation localisée au cours des expressions faciales, qui est suivie par la formation des rides résiduelles. L'accumulation des rides résiduelles produira des rides permanentes sur le long terme. Améliorer les mécanismes de la couche cornée peut être une approche efficace dans la prévention de la formation des rides.
New method for strain mapping was developed that analysed skin strain distribution during facial expressions. Using this method, clinical studies in vivo were performed to investigate the possibility that stratum corneum controls localized strain during facial expressions, which is then followed by wrinkle formation.
Transparent and conductive Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films were deposited on substrates including alkali-free glass, quartz glass, Si, and SiO
2 buffer layer on alkali-free glass by using radio ...frequency magnetron sputtering. The effects of different substrates on the structural, electrical and optical properties of the AZO films were investigated. It was found that the crystal structures were remarkably influenced by the type of the substrates due to their different thermal expansion coefficients, lattice mismatch and flatness. The AZO film (100 nm in thickness) deposited on the quartz glass exhibited the best crystallinity, followed sequentially by those deposited on the Si, the SiO
2 buffer layer, and the alkali-free glass. The film deposited on the quartz glass showed the lowest resistivity of 5.14
×
10
−
4
Ω cm among all the films, a carrier concentration of 1.97
×
10
21 cm
−
3
and a Hall mobility of 6.14 cm
2/v·s. The average transmittance of this film was above 90% in the visible light spectrum range. Investigation into the thickness-dependence of the AZO films revealed that the crystallinity was improved with increasing thickness and decreasing surface roughness, accompanied with a decrease in the film resistivity.
Background/purpose
Skin surface micro‐topography (SSMT), consisting of pores, ridges and furrows, reflects the skin condition and is an important factor determining the aesthetics of the skin. Most ...previous studies evaluating SSMT have employed two‐dimensional image analysis of magnified pictures captured by a video microscope. To improve the accuracy of SSMT analysis, we established a three‐dimensional (3D) analysis method for SSMT and developed various parameters including the skin ridge number, and applied the method to study the age‐dependent change in skin.
Methods
Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used for 3D measurement of the surface morphology of silicon replicas taken from the cheek. We then used these data to calculate the parameters that reflect the nature of SSTM including the skin ridge number using originally developed software. Employing a superscription technique, we investigated the variation in SSMT with age for replicas taken from the cheeks of 103 Japanese females (5–85 years old).
Results
The skin surface area and roughness, the area of pores, the area, length, depth and width of skin furrows and the number of skin ridges were examined. The surface roughness, the area of pores and the depth of skin furrows increased with age. The area and length of skin furrows and the number of skin ridges decreased with age.
Conclusion
The method proposed to analyse SSMT three dimensionally is an effective tool with which to characterize the condition of the skin.
Background
Facial skin pigmentation is one of the most prominent visible features of skin aging and often affects perception of health and beauty. To date, facial pigmentation has been evaluated ...using various image analysis methods developed for the cosmetic and esthetic fields. However, existing methods cannot provide precise information on pigmented spots, such as variations in size, color shade, and distribution pattern. The purpose of this study is the development of image evaluation methods to analyze individual pigmented spots and acquire detailed information on their age‐related changes.
Methods
To characterize the individual pigmented spots within a cheek image, we established a simple object‐counting algorithm. First, we captured cheek images using an original imaging system equipped with an illumination unit and a high‐resolution digital camera. The acquired images were converted into melanin concentration images using compensation formulae. Next, the melanin images were converted into binary images. The binary images were then subjected to noise reduction. Finally, we calculated parameters such as the melanin concentration, quantity, and size of individual pigmented spots using a connected‐components labeling algorithm, which assigns a unique label to each separate group of connected pixels.
Results
The cheek image analysis was evaluated on 643 female Japanese subjects. We confirmed that the proposed method was sufficiently sensitive to measure the melanin concentration, and the numbers and sizes of individual pigmented spots through manual evaluation of the cheek images. The image analysis results for the 643 Japanese women indicated clear relationships between age and the changes in the pigmented spots.
Conclusion
We developed a new quantitative evaluation method for individual pigmented spots in facial skin. This method facilitates the analysis of the characteristics of various pigmented facial spots and is directly applicable to the fields of dermatology, pharmacology, and esthetic cosmetology.
Context. Little is known about the properties of the warm (Tdust ≳ 150 K) debris disk material located close to the central star, which has a more direct link to the formation of terrestrial planets ...than does the low-temperature debris dust that has been detected to date. Aims. To discover new warm debris disk candidates that show large 18 μm excess and estimate the fraction of stars with excess based on the AKARI/IRC Mid-Infrared All-Sky Survey data. Methods. We searched for point sources detected in the AKARI/IRC All-Sky Survey, which show a positional match with A-M dwarf stars in the Tycho-2 Spectral Type Catalogue and exhibit excess emission at 18 μm compared to what is expected from the KS magnitude in the 2MASS catalogue. Results. We find 24 warm debris candidates including 8 new candidates among A-K stars. The apparent debris disk frequency is estimated to be 2.8 ± 0.6%. We also find that A stars and solar-type FGK stars have different characteristics of the inner component of the identified debris disk candidates. While debris disks around A stars are cooler and consistent with steady-state evolutionary model of debris disks, those around FGK stars tend to be warmer and cannot be explained by the steady-state model.
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