Background: Increased frequency of pathogenic variants in GBA, the causative gene for Gaucher disease, has been suggested to be associated with Parkinson disease (PD).Objectives: To conduct comprehensive resequencing of GBA to identify all sequence variants and to investigate the association of these variants with PD.

The present study shows that the NLR and PNI based on preoperative inflammatory and immunonutritional indices are predictors of overall survival in patients who undergo hepatectomy for HCC with curative intent.

Preoperative NLR was an important prognostic factor for TNM stage I HCC after liver resection with curative intent. These results suggest that the NLR may reflect the malignant potential of HCC.

Eight types of biomass waste samples, microcrystalline cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin were subjected to a degradative extraction method that treats carbonaceous resources in a non-hydrogen donor at around 350°C. The treated products were separated at 350°C to recover the extract and residue (the latter was termed Residue). The extract was further separated into two fractions: a fraction that precipitates as a solid (termed Deposit(s)) and the soluble fraction (termed Soluble(s)) at room temperature. The carbon-based yields of the three fractions obtained from the biomass wastes were 36.8− 71.6% Solubles, 4.4−10.6% Deposits, and 15.1−27.5% Residues. The remaining carbon was converted to CO 2 , CO, and a small amount of hydrocarbons that could not be separated from the solvent. Most of the ash was concentrated in the Residues, whereas the Solubles were almost completely free from ash. Surprisingly, the chemical and physical properties of the Solubles produced from the eight biomass waste samples were highly similar. The Solubles from the various biomasses had elemental compositions in the range of C = 81.0−83.3 wt %, H = 6.1−7.3 wt %, and O = 7.3−11.1 wt %. The Solubles comprised uniform low-molecularweight compounds with a peak molecular weight at around 300. The Solubles melted completely below 90°C, and 60−70% of the Solubles were devolatilized below 400°C. The Solubles, which constituted the largest yield fraction and have unique properties, have potential utility for various purposes.

BackgroundThe purpose was to retrospectively evaluate the effect of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) on gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities and outcomes compared to three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) for locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC).MethodsWe included 107 consecutive patients who underwent CRT for LAPC from September 2001 to March 2015; 80 patients underwent 3DCRT and 27 patients underwent IMRT. They were compared for GI toxicities, locoregional progression free survival (LRPFS), distant metastasis free survival (DMS), and overall survival (OS).ResultsMedian radiation dose and fractions for 3DCRT and IMRT were 54 Gy/30 fr. and 48 Gy/15 fr. The regimens of CRT consisted of weekly gemcitabine 250 mg/m2 (for 3DCRT) or 1000 mg/m2 (for IMRT). Acute GI toxicity ≥grade 2 occurred in 32 patients (40%) treated with 3DCRT compared with five patients (19%) treated with IMRT. Late GI toxicity of grade 3 occurred in 10 patients (12%) treated with 3DCRT and one patient (4%) treated with IMRT. Patients who underwent IMRT had superior 1-year LRPFS (73.1% vs. 63.2%, p = 0.035) and 1-year OS (92.3% vs. 68.2%, p = 0.037) as compared with those treated with 3DCRT. Multivariate analysis showed that in IMRT patients, higher dose (≥45 Gy) was an independent factor for better LRPFS and OS.ConclusionsLAPC patients treated with hypofractionated full-dose gemcitabine IMRT had improved OS and LRPFS without increased GI toxicities when compared to those of patients treated with conventionally fractionated low dose gemcitabine 3DCRT. In IMRT patients, higher dose was an independent favorable prognostic factor for better LRPFS and OS, which suggests that dose escalation with IMRT for LAPC is a promising strategy.

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Aims: To investigate whether preoperative enteral diets ­enriched in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) supplements could reduce the incidence of hypercytokinemia after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) in a double-blinded randomized ­controlled trial. Methods: Patients with resectable periampullary cancer were randomized into either the control group or the treatment group. Patients in the treatment group received oral supplementation (600 kcal/day) containing EPA for 7 days before surgery. Patients in the control group received isocaloric isonitrogenous standard nutrition (600 kcal/day) without EPA for 7 days before surgery. The primary endpoint was postoperative serum concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6). The secondary endpoints were the postoperative nutritional status and the incidence of postoperative infectious complications. Results: Twenty-four patients were enrolled in the present study. After exclusion, 20 patients (control group, n = 9; treatment group, n = 11) were analyzed. There were no significant differences in the curves for the serum concentration of IL-6 (p = 0.68) or the incidence of infectious complications between the 2 groups (control group: 78%, treatment group: 55%, p = 0.37). Conclusions: The results of a double-blinded randomized controlled trial indicated that preoperative immunonutrition had no marked impact on the rates of postoperative hypercytokinemia or infectious complications after PD.

Approximately two-thirds of patients with radiologically resectable pancreatic cancer had MVI and were considered to have potentially systemic disease. This study identified MVI as one of the significant factors for a poor prognosis and a valuable complement of tumor-node-metastasis staging.