Laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for a patient with situs inversus totalis: effect of changing operator position.

Situs inversus totalis (SIT) is a rare congenital condition in which the abdominal and thoracic organs are on the opposite sides to their normal anatomic positions. Reports of laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer with SIT are very few. Due to the mirror-image transposition of organs and vascular abnormalities, laparoscopic surgery for patients with SIT is technically complicated. Therefore, it has been reported as easier for left-handed surgeons. This report presents that operative procedures can be conducted as usual by changing the positions of the operator and assistants, even if the operator is right-handed. A 71-year-old woman visited our hospital with a 2-month history of hematochezia. Colonoscopy revealed an ulcerative tumor in the sigmoid colon and biopsy confirmed well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. Laparoscopic sigmoidectomy radical lymphadenectomy was performed. The operating time was 189 minutes and blood loss was 13 mL. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 7, without any complications. We report that complicated surgical procedures for patients with SIT can be simplified by changing viewpoints. Due to the altered anatomy in SIT, the positions of the operator and assistants are very important. Location of the pelvis is almost the same as in orthotopic patients, by moving the operator from the left side to the right side of the patient. Changing the position of the operator to the right side seems to be effective for patients with SIT during pelvic procedures.

[Results of chemotherapy using new anti-cancer drugs since S-1 for advanced or recurrent gastric cancer in our institute].

In many medical institutes the treatment for advanced (not resectable or radical grade C) or recurrent gastric cancer seems to be based on a regional perspective or prognostic restriction, and rarely on large-scale clinical studies; instead the selection is based on effective cases reported in the literature or on own.s own. In the current situation, chemotherapy using new anti-cancer drugs since S-1 has actually appeared to improve the prognosis or to maintain better QOL. We examined 46 cases (28 advanced (not resectable or radical grade C) cases and 18 recurrent cases after curative operation) during the period from January 2001 to December 2005. In 27 chemotherapy cases (1-year survival 52.5%, 2-year survival 31.5%, 3-year survival 19.5%, and MST=344 day), the survival time was significantly extended compared to 19 cases without chemotherapy (1-year survival 10.5% and MST=102 day) (p<0.0001). In the 27 chemotherapy cases, between 5 performance status (PS) 0 cases and 8 PS 1 cases, there was no significant difference in survival. But in 12 PS 2 cases, survival was significantly shorter smaller than that of PS 0 or PS 1 cases (p<0.05, p<0.001). Also, the period in the hospital during survival time of 6 cases, 2-year survival or more, was significantly shorter than that of 10 less than 1-year survival cases treated with chemotherapy. These findings led us to conclude that chemotherapy using new anti-cancer drug since S-1 showed excellent QOL in addition to longer survival benefits at the present time, when a standard treatment for to advanced or recurrent gastric cancer has not yet been established. It seemed that prognostic improvement by maintaining further excellent QOL could be expected if standard treatments based on the results of large-scale clinical studies were established.

Single-crystal Al(18)B(4)O(33) microtubes.

Aluminum borate microtubes were prepared in excellent yield by annealing the Al(2)O(3)-NaBH(4)-NiCl(2) starting materials at 1050 degrees C under N(2)(H(2)) atmosphere. The tubes are usually open at each end with the outer diameters narrowly distributed at ca. 1 microm. XRD results and TEM analysis identified the composition of these tubes as single-crystal orthorhombic Al(18)B(4)O(33). These newly discovered ceramic microtubes with open ends have a variety of promising applications such as being filled with other materials for protection or for the fabrication of novel composites or filtering media.

[Effectiveness of prolonged oral administration of low-dose etoposide in a case of malignant lymphoma in the mesenterium].

Malignant lymphoma in the mesenterium is rare and carries a poor prognosis, although curative resection cases have been reported. A 39-year-old woman with non-resectable mesenteric malignant lymphoma obtained a better QOL and outcome from prolonged oral administration of low-dose etoposide as a maintenance therapy after CHOP therapy.

A novel precursor for synthesis of pure boron nitride nanotubes.

A novel precursor, a mixture of B2O2 and Mg which is generated in situ by reacting B and MgO at 1300 degrees C, can be used to effectively synthesize bulk amounts of pure BN nanotubes with Mg evaporated from the final product; transmission electron microscope observation for the synthesized BN nanotubes indicates that defects present strongly depend on the tube diameter.

Hydrogen uptake in boron nitride nanotubes at room temperature.

Hydrogen uptake capacities of 1.8 and 2.6 wt % were obtained on BN multiwalled nanotubes and bamboo-like nanotubes, respectively, under approximately 10 MPa at room temperature. The preliminary results show that chemical interactions mainly take place between hydrogen and BN. Taking into consideration the uniform semiconducting electronic property and ultimate stable chemical and thermal stability, BN nanotubes may exhibit some interesting possibilities in storing hydrogen. This will also provide some viewpoints on designing the carbon-based hydrogen storage system.