Wood-based materials are widely used in residential construction. These materials can be made from virgin or recycled wood, and most of the materials are fabricated with chemical adhesives. Finding replacements for such chemical adhesives poses major challenges. This study explored nanofiber technology as an alternative to these adhesives. Previous studies have shown that the three-dimensional binding effects of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) and ligno-cellulose nanofiber (LCNF), when mixed with wood flour, can significantly improve the physical and mechanical properties of wood flour board. We use the word "LCNF" as the surface nanofibrillated wood flour. Previous studies have also highlighted problems that occur during compounding and board manufacturing. In this study, a reliable method was established to mix wood flour and LCNF. The method involved a compounding machine, which facilitated board manufacturing safely. Physical and mechanical properties of the resulting wood flour boards were significantly improved with the addition of LCNF, due to close binding between LCNF and wood flour particles.
: The tumor suppressor gene maspin serves to inhibit cancer infiltration/metastasis, and maspin's involvement in apoptosis-inducing action has been noted. In the current research, we studied the relationship between maspin expression and apoptosis using clinical specimens of stomach and colon cancer. Subjects were 39 cases of stomach cancer (20 cases of early cancer, 19 cases of advanced cancer) and 36 cases of colon cancer (16 cases of early cancer, 20 cases of advanced cancer) in which the cancer was surgically resected. We performed immunohistochemical staining of maspin and ss-DNA for apoptotic cell extraction. Based on the degree of maspin expression, we classified subjects into a high expression and low expression group, calculated the number of ss-DNA-positive cells for both, and compared the proportion of these cells. In early stomach cancer, the proportion of ss-DNA-positive cells was significantly higher in the group with high maspin expression (high expression group vs. low expression group 0.014 vs. 0.005; P = 0.022). In advanced cancer, a significant difference was not found (0.013 vs. 0.005: P = 0.09). However, the proportion of such cells with advanced stomach cancer tended to be high in high expression groups. With colon cancer, the proportion of ss-DNA-positive cells with both early and advanced cancer was significantly higher in the group with high maspin expression (early cancer 0.009 vs. 0.002, P = 0.021; advanced cancer 0.012 vs. 0.003, P = 0.006) . Results suggested that the expression of maspin in both stomach and colon cancer may induce apoptosis regardless of the extent of the tumor. Future study of molecular therapies targeting maspin is anticipated for cancer that is difficult to cure surgically.
We report a case of hemorrhagic cytomegalovirus (CMV) colitis, occurring in a postoperative patient due to a weakened immune system. An 85-year-old woman with a medical history, including chronic renal failure treated with oral administration of prednisolone, underwent colectomy due to an ascending colon cancer. While the postoperative course was favorable, she exhibited acute severe abdominal pain and massive bloody discharge after 11 days of surgery. Her colonoscopic examination showed multiple longitudinal ulcers on the anastomosis. In addition to these endoscopic findings, her past medical history helped suggest CMV colitis. Because serological testing revealed positive CMV antigen, she was finally given a diagnosis of CMV colitis and received intravenous ganciclovir for the initial treatment. Hemorrhagic CMV colitis after colectomy is an important postoperative complication; we therefore present our case with diagnosis and treatment experience.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.