Long-term prognosis after endoscopic submucosal dissection for esophageal cancer in older adult patients.

BACKGROUND: The validity of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in older individuals with comorbidities remains unclear. Therefore, this study evaluated the safety and efficacy of ESD and additional treatment for ESCC in older adult patients. METHODS: The clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcomes of 398 consecutive older adult patients (≥ 65 years) with 505 lesions who underwent ESD for ESCC at the Hiroshima University Hospital between September 2007 and December 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. Additionally, the prognoses of 381 patients who were followed up for > 3 years were assessed. RESULTS: The mean patient age and procedure time were 73.1 ± 5.8 years and 77.1 ± 43.5 min, respectively. The histological en bloc resection rate was 98% (496/505). Postoperative stenosis, perforation, pneumonia, and delayed bleeding were conservatively treated in 82 (16%), 19 (4%), 15 (3%), and 5 (1%) patients, respectively. The 5-year overall and disease-specific survival rates were 78.9% and 98.0%, respectively (mean follow-up time: 71.1 ± 37.3 months). Multivariate analysis showed that age and the American Society of Anesthesiologists classification of physical status class ≥III (hazard ratio: 1.27; 95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.59, p = 0.0392) were independently associated with overall survival. A significantly lower overall survival rate was observed in the high-risk follow-up group than in the low-risk follow-up and high-risk additional treatment groups (p < 0.01). However, no significant difference in disease-specific survival was observed among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: ESD is safe for ESCC treatment in patients aged ≥ 65 years. However, additional treatments should be considered based on the patient's general condition.

Clinical factors associated with stable treatment of chronic constipation in Japanese patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Chronic constipation (CC) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders in the general population. Although there are many treatment options, achieving a stable treatment for CC remains one of the challenges in clinical practice. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical factors associated with stable treatment for CC in Japanese patients. METHODS: A retrospective, cross-sectional, and multicenter study was carried out. Patients were eligible for inclusion if they fulfilled the Rome IV criteria for diagnosing CC and had been treated for at least one and a half years. Patients with up to two prescription modifications for CC in one year were defined as the stable treatment group, whereas those with three or more prescription changes were defined as the unstable treatment group. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to identify factors associated with CC. RESULTS: A total of 114 patients have been recruited. There were 82 patients (77.0%) in the stable treatment group and 32 patients (23.0%) in the unstable treatment group. Based on multivariate likelihood analysis, only using acid-suppressive drugs contributed to stability treatment in CC patients (odds ratio: 2.81, 95% confidence interval: 1.12-7.08, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Administration of acid-suppressive drugs was the only factor related to the stability of CC treatment. Further studies are needed to validate the results as well as clarify the causes.

Removal of arsenious ion by calcined aluminum oxyhydroxide (boehmite).

Aluminum oxyhydroxide (boehmite, BE) shows adsorption ability of arsenious ion. In this study, we calcined BE in the temperature range 200-1150 degrees C, and examined the amount of arsenious ion adsorbed and adsorption mechanism. As a result, the adsorption amount of arsenious ion by BE calcined at 400 degrees C showed the highest value as compared with those by BE calcined at other temperatures. On the other hand, the amounts of arsenious ion adsorbed onto BE showed lower values at 200, 600, and >1000 degrees C than that by BE before calcination. The amount of surface hydroxyl group of calcined BE showed the highest value at the calcination temperature of 400 degrees C. As a result of X-ray analysis, BE showed boehmite structure at less than the calcination temperature of 300 degrees C, while BE was converted to the transitional state of aluminum oxide at more than 400 degrees C. From the result of the amount of arsenious ion adsorbed and FT-IR, it turned out that calcined BE dissociated water molecule when suspended in the water, hydroxyl group was generated on the surface, and the amount of arsenious ion adsorbed was increased because of the ion exchange of these hydroxyl groups with arsenious ions. It was clarified that an adsorbent with high adsorption ability of arsenious ion was obtained by calcination of BE.

Survey on cellular phone usage on students in Thailand.

The number of cellular phone subscribers is increasing every year and there have been reports of health disorders related to the high-frequency radio waves. This paper considers the dependence of Thai university and high school students on cellular phones. A survey form (cellular phone dependence questionnaire: CPDQ) was distributed to 181 female and 177 male Thai university students and to 240 female and 140 male Thai high school students. The surveys were collected, Cronbach alpha coefficient was calculated, and a factor analysis was performed using the principal factor method and varimax rotation. The total scores were 16.54 to 20.04 and the Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.808 to 0.930. According to a factor analysis of 20 scored items, 4 factors were extracted for both male and female high school students, and the cumulative correlation coefficients of the male and female groups were 64.85% and 62.70%, respectively. Five factors were extracted for male university students and 6 factors were extracted for female university students, and the cumulative correlation coefficients were 58.08% and 57.91%, respectively. The W value results of the Shapiro-Wilk W-test for male university students, female university students, male high school students and female high school students were 0.969, 0.984, 0.964, and 0.913 respectively, thus verifying the normality of the score distributions. The total scores for the Thai university students were higher than the scores for the Thai high school students. The factor analysis of female high school students confirmed a large difference compared to male university students, male high school students, and Japanese female university students. (The Japanese students were surveyed in an earlier study by Toda et al.). Also, the CPDQ total score was high, which indicated a strong tendency toward dependence.

Removal of lead ions in drinking water by coffee grounds as vegetable biomass.

In an attempt to reuse food waste for useful purposes, we investigated the possibility of using coffee grounds to remove lead ions from drinking water. We studied the lead ion adsorption characteristics of coffee beans and grounds by measuring their fat and protein content, adsorption isotherms for lead ions, and adsorption rates for lead ions. The number of lead ions adsorbed by coffee grounds did not depend on the kind of coffee beans or the temperature at which adsorption tests were performed. The rate of lead ion adsorption by coffee grounds was directly proportional to the amount of coffee grounds added to the solution. When coffee grounds were degreased or boiled, the number of lead ions decreased. When proteins contained in coffee grounds were denatured, the lead ion adsorption was considerably reduced. The lead ion adsorption capacity of coffee grounds decreased with increased concentration of perchloric acid used for treating them and disappeared with 10% perchloric acid. The experiments demonstrated that proteins contained in coffee beans depend upon the adsorption of lead ion. The present study gave an affirmative answer to the possibility of using coffee grounds, an abundant food waste, for removing lead ions from drinking water.

Adsorption of fluoride ions onto carbonaceous materials.

The characteristics of fluoride ion adsorption onto carbonaceous materials were derived as adsorption isotherms at different temperatures and in different pH solutions. The fluoride ion was adsorbed into pores in carbonaceous materials produced from wood; the larger the specific surface area, the more fluoride ions adsorbed. Bone char was the most effective adsorbent. The composition of bone char includes calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, and so on. This suggests that the phosphate ion in bone char was exchanged with a fluoride ion. Moreover, the mechanism of fluoride ion adsorption onto bone char is clearly chemical in nature because the amount of fluoride ion adsorbed onto bone char increased with increasing temperature and decreasing pH. The amount of fluoride ion adsorbed onto bone char was also shown to depend on the concentration of sodium chloride in solution because of the "salting-out" effect. The adsorption of fluoride ion onto bone char is endothermic. Bone char can be utilized to remove fluoride ions from drinking water.

Study on adsorption kinetic of aromatic hydrocarbons onto activated carbon in gaseous flow method.

The adsorption behavior of benzene, toluene, o-xylene, m-xylene, and p-xylene onto activated carbon was investigated using the flow method. The removal efficiency of aromatic hydrocarbons in the gaseous phase was estimated based on the adsorption kinetic constants and the saturated amount of aromatic hydrocarbons adsorbed on the activated carbon. The saturated amount of benzene and toluene adsorbed was greater than that of xylene adsorbed because the molecular sizes of benzene and toluene are smaller than that of xylene. The adsorption kinetic constant increased in the order of xylene, toluene, and benzene. Those of the three xylene isomers were similar. These results indicated that the adsorption rate of benzene by the activated carbon was the fastest and the kinetic constant depended upon the different between the boiling point and the melting point and the molecular size of the aromatic hydrocarbons.

Effect of particle size on the adsorption of theophylline onto activated charcoal, in vitro study.

The effective use of activated charcoal as oral adsorbent in the primary treatment of acute theophylline poisoning was studied in vitro. Adsorption capacities for theophylline onto activated charcoal of varying particle size were investigated. No difference in the equilibrium amount of theophylline adsorbed onto activated charcoal was recognized. This result could be explained by the physical properties of activated charcoal. The amount of theophylline adsorbed from physiological saline solution was greater than that from water. The smaller the particle size of activated charcoal, the faster theophylline was adsorbed. It was assumed that the increase of contact area by grounding activated charcoal of large particle size accelerated the adsorption of theophylline onto activated charcoal.

Decolorization of indigo carmine by charcoal from extracted residue of coffee beans.

The adsorption ability of charcoal from extracted residue of coffee beans for indigo carmine removal was investigated by the batch method. Differences in the removal ratio and removal rate of indigo carmine could be explained by differences in the properties of charcoal. In the relationship between the amount of indigo carmine adsorbed and the square root of elapsed time, a good linearity was recognized. Since the relationship between the amount of indigo carmine adsorbed and square root of elapsed time showed a good linearity, the intraparticle diffusion of indigo carmine onto pores of adsorbents was identified as the rate-limiting step in the adsorption process.

Removal of phosphate by aluminum oxide hydroxide.

The development and manufacture of an adsorbent to remove phosphate ion for the prevention of eutrophication in lakes are very important. The characteristics of phosphate adsorption onto aluminum oxide hydroxide were investigated to estimate the adsorption isotherms, the rate of adsorption, and the selectivity of adsorption. Phosphate was easily adsorbed onto aluminum oxide hydroxide, because of the hydroxyl groups. The adsorption of phosphate onto aluminum oxide hydroxide was influenced by pH in solution: the amount adsorbed was greatest at pH 4, ranging with pH from 2 to 9. The optimum pH for phosphate removal by aluminum oxide hydroxide is 4. The selectivity of phosphate adsorption onto aluminum oxide hydroxide was evaluated based on the amount of phosphate ion adsorbed onto aluminum oxide hydroxide from several anion complex solutions. It is phosphate that aluminum oxide hydroxide can selectively adsorb. The selectivity of phosphate onto aluminum oxide hydroxide was about 7000 times that of chloride. This result indicated that the hydroxyl groups on aluminum oxide hydroxide have selective adsorptivity for phosphate and could be used for the removal of phosphate from seawater.

Inhibitory effect of sorbitol on acetaminophen adsorption by activated carbon.

The effective use of activated carbon as oral adsorbent in the primary treatment of acute acetaminophen poisoning was studied. The adsorption characteristics of acetaminophen onto activated carbons in presence of sorbitol were investigated in vitro. Both the equilibrium amount adsorbed and the removal rate of acetaminophen onto activated carbon were decreased with the increase of sorbitol concentration in solutions. The sorbitol concentration independency of the inhibition to the acetaminophen adsorption was recognized. It was concluded that the addition of sorbitol to the suspension of activated carbon inhibited the acetaminophen adsorption by activated carbon.

Adsorption characteristics of bisphenol A onto carbonaceous materials produced from wood chips as organic waste.

Many organic by-products have been discharged by humans, and the development of technology for recycling organic by-products has attracted much interest. In this paper, the techniques for producing carbonaceous adsorbents from an organic by-product and an application to remove endocrine disruptors are described. Wood chips as an organic by-product were carbonized at 873 to 1073 K. The iodine adsorption capacity of the obtained carbonaceous materials increased with increasing carbonization temperature. The amount of bisphenol A adsorbed on the carbonized materials produced from Sugi and Hinoki at a 1073 K carbonization temperature was higher than that of activated carbon. The Freundlich constant, 1/N, of the carbonaceous materials produced from Sugi chips, Sugi sawdust, and Hinoki sawdust was similar to that of the activated carbon. This result indicated that the affinity between bisphenol A and the carbonaceous materials or the activated carbon was similar. Their Freundlich constant, K, was greater than that of the activated carbon. Hence, bisphenol A could be efficiently removed by the carbonaceous materials.

Characterization of water adsorption onto carbonaceous materials produced from food wastes.

The recycling of organic wastes has become very important and the development of technology for recycling organic wastes needs to sustain industrial development. In this study, techniques for producing carbonaceous materials from organic wastes are described and water adsorption is characterized. The organic wastes used are coffee grounds and oolong tea leaves carbonized at 673 to 1073 K. The iodine adsorption capacity of the carbonaceous materials increased with increased carbonization temperature. The amount of water adsorbed onto the carbonization materials produced from oolong tea leaves at 873 K for 2 h was the highest. The Freundlich constant 1/n and the differential heat of adsorption of the carbonaceous materials produced from oolong tea leaves were greater than that of the carbonaceous materials produced from coffee grounds. The ability to humidity control can be estimated by the difference between the amount of water adsorbed relative pressure 0.90 and that at relative pressure 0.55. The ability to humidity control was the greatest for the carbonaceous materials produced from the oolong tea leaves at 873 K for 2 h and did not depend upon the adsorption temperature. These results indicated that the carbonaceous materials produced from oolong tea leaves at 873 K for 2 h could have more humidity control.

Adsorption of dyes onto carbonaceous materials produced from coffee grounds by microwave treatment.

Organic wastes have been burned for reclamation. However, they have to be recycled and reused for industrial sustainable development. Carbonaceous materials were produced from coffee grounds by microwave treatment. There are many phenolic hydroxyl and carboxyl groups on the surface of carbonaceous materials. The base consumption of the carbonaceous materials was larger than that of the commercially activated carbon. The carbonaceous materials produced from coffee grounds were applied to the adsorbates for the removal of basic dyes (methylene blue and gentian violet) in wastewater. This result indicated that the adsorption of dyes depended upon the surface polar groups on the carbonaceous materials. Moreover, the Freundlich constants of isotherms for the adsorption of methylene blue and gentian violet onto the carbonaceous materials produced from coffee grounds were greater than those for adsorption onto activated carbon or ceramic activated carbon. The interaction was greatest between the surface or porosity of the carbonaceous materials and methylene blue and gentian violet. The microwave treatment would be useful for the carbonization of organic wastes to save energy.

Inclusion Behavior of 4-Nonylphenol into Cyclodextrin Derivatives.

The solubilities of 4-nonylphenol in five kinds of hydroxypropyl-cyclodextrin (HP-CDs) solutions were investigated in order to evaluate them for soil remediation. The relative aqueous-phase concentration of 4-nonylphenol linearly increased with the increasing HP-CD concentration. The addition of HP-beta-CD (degree of substitution, D.S.=0.6) produced the largest change because the inner core of HP-beta-CD is the most hydrophobic. The solubility of 4-nonylphenol in the HP-CD solutions depended upon the cavity diameter and the degree of HP-CD substitution. Both ozone and activated carbon treatments have been using for removing organic compounds and foul odor compounds from tap water. As the inclusion complexes moved into the groundwater, the ozone degradation of the inclusion complexes was estimated. The 4-nonylphenol-HP-CD inclusion complexes were easily degraded by ozone. The degree of degradation increased with the increasing ozonization time. Weakly acidic compounds were produced from the 4-nonylphenol-HP-CD inclusion complexes by ozonization. HP-CDs could be used for the removal of 4-nonylphenol from soil. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.