Laparoscopic-Assisted Resection for an Extra-gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Arising From the Mesentery of the Small Intestine: A Case Report.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are mesenchymal tumors that arise in the muscular or submucosal layers of the gastrointestinal tract. Extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumors (EGISTs) are rare primary entities that develop outside the digestive tract which are histologically and immunologically similar to GISTs. We present the case of a 52-year-old female diagnosed with a primary EGIST arising in the small bowel mesentery four months after undergoing hormone therapy for multiple uterine myomas. Transvaginal ultrasonography and MRI revealed a pelvic mass suspected to be a GIST. The patient was treated with laparoscopic-assisted partial resection of the small bowel. Histopathological examination of the surgical specimen confirmed the diagnosis of an EGIST. Imatinib treatment was initiated, and no clinical evidence of recurrence or metastasis was detected postoperatively. Because EGISTs are extremely rare, the differences between EGISTs and GISTs, the degree of malignancy, and prognosis have not been fully investigated. Further studies are needed to accumulate additional cases. The present case shows that laparoscopic-assisted excision can be successfully used to manage EGISTs.

Palladium-Catalyzed Three-Component Coupling of Ynamides.

A palladium-catalyzed regioselective three-component coupling of ynamides was developed. The reaction proceeded smoothly to furnish the desired products when carried out at 70 °C in acetonitrile/water with potassium carbonate in the presence of 2.5 mol % Pd2(dba)3·CHCl3 without a ligand. Various iodides and boronic acids were used in this reaction, and a carbon-carbon bond was formed with satisfactory regioselectivity from the ynamides.

Are common names becoming less common? The rise in uniqueness and individualism in Japan.

We examined whether Japanese culture has become more individualistic by investigating how the practice of naming babies has changed over time. Cultural psychology has revealed substantial cultural variation in human psychology and behavior, emphasizing the mutual construction of socio-cultural environment and mind. However, much of the past research did not account for the fact that culture is changing. Indeed, archival data on behavior (e.g., divorce rates) suggest a rise in individualism in the U.S. and Japan. In addition to archival data, cultural products (which express an individual's psyche and behavior outside the head; e.g., advertising) can also reveal cultural change. However, little research has investigated the changes in individualism in East Asia using cultural products. To reveal the dynamic aspects of culture, it is important to present temporal data across cultures. In this study, we examined baby names as a cultural product. If Japanese culture has become more individualistic, parents would be expected to give their children unique names. Using two databases, we calculated the rate of popular baby names between 2004 and 2013. Both databases released the rankings of popular names and their rates within the sample. As Japanese names are generally comprised of both written Chinese characters and their pronunciations, we analyzed these two separately. We found that the rate of popular Chinese characters increased, whereas the rate of popular pronunciations decreased. However, only the rate of popular pronunciations was associated with a previously validated collectivism index. Moreover, we examined the pronunciation variation of common combinations of Chinese characters and the written form variation of common pronunciations. We found that the variation of written forms decreased, whereas the variation of pronunciations increased over time. Taken together, these results showed that parents are giving their children unique names by pairing common Chinese characters with uncommon pronunciations, which indicates an increase in individualism in Japan.

An effective synthesis of 5,4'-disubstituted flavones via a cesium enolate assisted intramolecular ipso-substitution reaction.

A variety of 5,4'-disubstituted flavones, which are anticipated to be androgen receptor antagonists to treat diseases mediated by the androgen receptor, were synthesized. It was found that an intramolecular ipso-substitution reaction via cesium enolate using 2-fluoro-6-hydroxyacetophenone and various benzoyl chlorides was effective in the preparation of 5-hydroxy-4'-alkylflavones.