Kyushu University

About: Kyushu University is a education organization based out in Fukuoka, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Catalysis. The organization has 68284 authors who have published 135190 publications receiving 3055928 citations. The organization is also known as: Kyūshū Daigaku.

Pathology and prognosis of gastric carcinoma. Findings in 10,000 patients who underwent primary gastrectomy.

Abstract: Background. Despite recent advances in diagnosis and treatment, gastric carcinoma remains a major cause of death in the world. Methods. The clinicopathologic profile of 10,000 consecutive patients who underwent primary gastrectomy during 1962-1989 were reviewed and prognostic factors influencing survival in those with gastric carcinoma were analyzed in 7031 patients. Results. Incidence of gastrectomy for carcinoma has increased steadily and the rate of early carcinoma exceeded that of advanced carcinoma in the recent period of 1985-1989. Five-year and 10-year survival rates were 46.1% and 35.2% in 3868 patients with advanced carcinoma, and 88.8% and 77.3% in 3163 patients with early carcinoma, respectively. In patients with advanced carcinoma, significantly poorer survival rates were noticed for patients older than 70 years of age, those who underwent total gastrectomy, tumors involving the entire stomach or greater than 10 cm in diameter, a macroscopic diffusely infiltrative pattern, adenosquamous histologic type, positive surgical resection margins, or lymph node metastasis. None of the above poor prognostic features were identified in patients with early gastric carcinoma group except for those older than 70 years of age. Although lymph node metastases were present in 10% of early gastric carcinomas, this feature did not impart a poor prognosis. Patients with advanced carcinoma grossly resembling an early carcinoma had an intermediate prognosis, suggesting the existence of a developmentally midstage lesion between early and advanced carcinoma. Conclusions. The study illustrates that the most important role for clinicians treating with gastric carcinoma should be early detection and aggressive surgery for resectable tumors, followed by detailed pathologic examination.

A consensus document on robotic surgery

Abstract: “Robotic surgery” originated as an imprecise term, but it has been widely used by both the medical and lay press and is now generally accepted by the medical community. The term refers to surgical technology that places a computer-assisted electromechanical device in the path between the surgeon and the patient. A more scientifically accurate term for current devices would be “remote telepresence manipulators” because available technology does not generally function without the explicit and direct control of a human operator. For the purposes of the document, we define robotic surgery as a surgical procedure or technology that adds a computer technology–enhanced device to the interaction between a surgeon and a patient during a surgical operation and assumes some degree of control heretofore completely reserved for the surgeon. For example, in laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon directly controls and manipulates tissue, albeit at some distance from the patient and through a fulcrum point in the abdominal wall. This differs from the use of current robotic devices, whereby the surgeon sits at a console, typically in the operating room but outside the sterile field, directing and controlling the movements of one or more robotic arms. Although the surgeon still maintains control over the operation, the control is indirect and effected from an increased distance. This definition of robotic surgery encompasses micromanipulators, remotely controlled endoscopes, and console-manipulator devices. The key elements are enhancements of the surgeon’s abilities—be they vision, tissue manipulation, or tissue sensing—and alteration of the traditional direct local contact between surgeon and patient.

Oral appliance treatment for obstructive sleep apnea: An update

Abstract: Oral appliances (OA) have emerged as an alternative to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment. The most commonly used OA reduces upper airway collapse by advancing the mandible (OAm). There is a strong evidence base demonstrating OAm improve OSA in the majority of patients, including some with more severe disease. However OAm are not efficacious for all, with approximately one-third of patients experiencing no therapeutic benefit. OAm are generally well tolerated, although short-term adverse effects during acclimatization are common. Long-term dental changes do occur, but these are for the most part subclinical and do not preclude continued use. Patients often prefer OAm to gold-standard CPAP treatment. Head-to-head trials confirm CPAP is superior in reducing OSA parameters on polysomnography; however, this greater efficacy does not necessarily translate into better health outcomes in clinical practice. Comparable effectiveness of OAm and CPAP has been attributed to higher reported nightly use of OAm, suggesting that inferiority in reducing apneic events may be counteracted by greater treatment adherence. Recently, significant advances in commercially available OAm technologies have been made. Remotely controlled mandibular positioners have the potential to identify treatment responders and the level of therapeutic advancement required in single night titration polysomnography. Objective monitoring of OAm adherence using small embedded temperature sensing data loggers is now available and will enhance clinical practice and research. These technologies will further enhance efficacy and effectiveness of OAm treatment for OSA.

Intermolecular interaction and a concentration-quenching mechanism of phosphorescent Ir(III) complexes in a solid film.

Abstract: Solid-state self-quenching processes of highly efficient Ir(III) phosphorescent emitters are investigated by the measurement of thin film photoluminescence quantum efficiency and transient lifetime as a function of doping concentration in a host matrix. The radiative decay rate constant is found to be independent from the average distance between dopant molecules (R), and the concentration-quenching rate constant is shown to be dependent on R(-6). The quenching dependence on R strongly suggests that luminescent concentration quenching in a phosphorescent Ir(III) complex:host film is controlled by dipole-dipole deactivating interactions as described by the Forster energy transfer model.