The risk of specific species-gear interactions, such as the potential for entanglement between humpback whales and pots and traps, was also identified. Designed to complement existing methods of bycatch assessment, this approach is a systematic, repeatable and standardised assessment, the outputs of which can enable the prioritization of resources for research and monitoring. The TPCA-1 chemical structure approach can be easily adapted to examine risk to cetaceans posed by fisheries around the world. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Purpose: To provide pathology data on the completeness of epiretinal membrane (ERM) removal with and without internal limiting

membrane (ILM) peeling.\n\nMethods: Twenty-two patients with idiopathic ERM formation underwent vitrectomy with ERM removal and subsequent staining of the vitreomacular interface with brilliant blue. If the ILM was still present after ERM removal, it was peeled off. Both ERM and ILM specimens were harvested in different containers and prepared for flat-mount phase-contrast and interference microscopy, immunocytochemistry, and transmission

electron microscopy.\n\nResults: In 14 patients (64%), the ILM was still present at the macula after ERM removal. On average, 20% (range, 2-51%) of the total cell count was left behind at the ILM if the ERM was removed only. There were mainly glial cells on the ILM, and few hyalocytes. In nine eyes, the cells PD98059 supplier were forming cell clusters. In 8 patients (36%), both

ERM and ILM were removed together. Electron microscopy showed cellular proliferation directly attached to the ILM in these eyes, whereas in the sequentially peeled group, there was collagen interposed between Dinaciclib chemical structure the ERM and the ILM. Surgical ERM removal resulted in splitting of the vitreous cortex in these eyes, leaving the ILM with residual cells behind.\n\nConclusion: Simple ERM removal results in sufficient separation of fibrocellular tissue in one third of cases, only. In 2 of 3 patients with idiopathic ERM, the vitreous cortex splits when the ERM is removed, leaving an average of 20% of the total cell count behind on the ILM. As these cells are capable of proliferation and causing ERM recurrence, staining of the ILM with subsequent removal seems beneficial in macular pucker surgery. RETINA 32: 477-485, 2012″
“OBJECTIVES To test the non-inferiority hypothesis that a vector control approach targeting only the most productive water container types gives the same or greater reduction of the vector population as a non-targeted approach in different ecological settings and to analyse whether the targeted intervention is less costly.\n\nMETHODS Cluster randomized trial in eight study sites (Venezuela, Mexico, Peru, Kenya, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Philippines), with each study area divided into 18-20 clusters (sectors or neighbourhoods) of approximately 50-100 households each.

AuCl(4)(-) has been extracted into the membrane via ion-exchange and has been subsequently reduced by L-ascorbic acid, tri-sodium citrate, NaBH(4) or EDTA to form Au NPs.

EDTA at pH 6.0 has been shown to be an effective reducing agent capable of forming a uniform monolayer of Au NPs of average size 20 nm on the surface of the membrane. The other reagents have formed Au NPs of sizes depending on the reagent type and these have been embedded in the bulk of the membrane and not concentrated at the surface.\n\nThe main factors influencing the formation of the surface Au NPs when EDTA is used as the reducing agent have been studied. A 24 h membrane exposure to the EDTA solution has ensured complete surface coverage with Au NPs. check details It has been observed that as the concentration of EDTA, the solution temperature and shaking rate increase, the size of Au NPs decreases. click here Therefore, these factors

can be used to control the size of Au NPs on the membrane surface.\n\nThe coated with Au NPs membranes are expected to be of interest in optical sensing and catalytic applications. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Lateral gene transfer (LGT)uwhich transfers DNA between two non-vertically related individuals belonging to the same or different speciesuis recognized as a major force in prokaryotic evolution, and evidence of its 4 impact on eukaryotic evolution is ever increasing. LGT has attracted much public attention for its potential to transfer pathogenic elements and antibiotic resistance in bacteria, and to transfer pesticide resistance from genetically modified crops to other plants. In a wider perspective, there is a growing body of studies highlighting the role of LGT in enabling organisms to occupy new niches or adapt AZD0530 to environmental changes. The challenge LGT poses to the standard tree-based conception of evolution is also being debated. Studies of LGT have, however, been severely limited

by a lack of computational tools. The best currently available LGT algorithms are parsimony-based phylogenetic methods, which require a pre-computed gene tree and cannot choose between sometimes wildly differing most parsimonious solutions. Moreover, in many studies, simple heuristics are applied that can only handle putative orthologs and completely disregard gene duplications (GDs). Consequently, proposed LGT among specific gene families, and the rate of LGT in general, remain debated. We present a Bayesian Markov-chain Monte Carlo-based method that integrates GD, gene loss, LGT, and sequence evolution, and apply the method in a genome-wide analysis of two groups of bacteria: Mollicutes and Cyanobacteria. Our analyses show that although the LGT rate between distant species is high, the net combined rate of duplication and close-species LGT is on average higher.

“
“A class of fractional-order neural networks with delay is discussed in this paper, a sufficient condition is established for the uniform stability of such network. Moreover, SN-38 mouse the existence, uniqueness and stability of its equilibrium point are also proved. A numerical example is

presented to demonstrate the validity and feasibility of the proposed results. Crown Copyright (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Does PubMed Centrala government-run digital archive of biomedical articlescompete with scientific society journals? A longitudinal, retrospective cohort analysis of 13,223 articles (5999 treatment, 7224 control) published in 14 society-run biomedical research journals in nutrition, experimental biology,

physiology, and radiology between February 2008 and January 2011 reveals a 21.4% reduction in full-text hypertext markup language (HTML) article downloads and a 13.8% reduction in portable document Selleck A1155463 format (PDF) article downloads from the journals’ websites when U.S. National Institutes of Health-sponsored articles (treatment) become freely available from the PubMed Central repository. In addition, the effect of PubMed Central on reducing PDF article downloads is increasing over time, growing at a rate of 1.6% per year. There was no longitudinal effect for full-text HTML downloads. While PubMed Central may be providing complementary access to readers traditionally underserved by scientific journals, the loss of article readership BMS-754807 cell line from the journal website may weaken the ability of the journal to build communities of interest around research papers, impede the communication of news and events to scientific society members and journal readers, and reduce the perceived value of the journal to institutional subscribers.Davis, P. M. Public accessibility of biomedical articles from PubMed Central reduces journal

readershipretrospective cohort analysis.”
“Objective: Lowering the blood concentration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the primary strategy employed in treating atherosclerotic disorders; however, most commonly prescribed statins prevent cardiovascular events in just 30% to 40% of treated patients. Therefore, additional treatment is required for patients in whom statins have been ineffective. In this study of atherosclerosis in rabbits, we examined the effect of probucol, a lipid-lowering drug with potent antioxidative effects, added to treatment with atorvastatin. Methods and Results: Atherosclerosis was induced by feeding rabbits chow containing 0.5% cholesterol for 8 weeks. Probucol 0.1%, atorvastatin 0.001%, and atorvastatin 0.003% were administered solely or in combination for 6 weeks, beginning 2 weeks after the start of atherosclerosis induction. Atorvastatin decreased the plasma concentration of non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDLC) dose-dependently; atorvastatin 0.

g. alpha 2-macroglobulin, and fibrinogen). In conclusion, we provide a unique panel of proteins that vary between plasma MVs from STEMI and SCAD patients and that might constitute a promising source of biomarkers/drug targets for myocardial infarction.”
“Neutrophil apoptosis and subsequent nonphlogistic clearance by surrounding phagocytes are key to the successful resolution of neutrophilic

inflammation, with dysregulated apoptosis reported in multiple human inflammatory diseases. Enhancing neutrophil apoptosis has proresolution and anti-inflammatory effects in preclinical models of inflammation. Here we investigate the ability of the flavones apigenin, luteolin, and wogonin to induce neutrophil apoptosis in vitro and resolve neutrophilic inflammation in vivo. Human neutrophil apoptosis was assessed morphologically and I-BET-762 molecular weight by flow cytometry following incubation with apigenin, luteolin, and wogonin. All three flavones induced timeand concentration-dependent neutrophil apoptosis (apigenin, EC50 = 12.2 mu M; luteolin, EC50 = 14.6 mu M; and wogonin, EC50 = 28.9 mu M). Induction of apoptosis was

caspase dependent, as it was blocked by the broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor Q-VD-OPh and was associated with both caspase-3 and caspase-9 activation. Flavone-induced apoptosis was preceded by down-regulation of the prosurvival NVP-LDE225 clinical trial protein Mcl-1, with proteasomal inhibition preventing flavone-induced Mcl-1 down-regulation and apoptosis. The flavones abrogated the survival effects of mediators that prolong neutrophil life span, including lipoteichoic acid, peptidoglycan, dexamethasone, and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, by driving apoptosis. Furthermore, wogonin enhanced resolution of established neutrophilic inflammation in a zebrafish model of sterile tissue

injury. Wogonin-induced resolution was dependent on apoptosis in vivo as it was blocked by caspase inhibition. Our data show that the flavones induce neutrophil apoptosis and FK506 research buy have potential as neutrophil apoptosis-inducing anti-inflammatory, proresolution agents.-Lucas, C. D., Allen, K. C., Dorward, D. A., Hoodless, L. J., Melrose, L. A., Marwick, J. A., Tucker, C. S., Haslett, C., Duffin, R., Rossi, A. G. Flavones induce neutrophil apoptosis by down-regulation of Mcl-1 via a proteasomal-dependent pathway. FASEB J. 27, 1084-1094 (2013). www.fasebj.org”
“Background: The placement of the endotracheal tube (ETT) in neonates is a challenging procedure that currently requires timely confirmation of tip placement by radiographic imaging. Objective: We sought to determine if bedside ultrasound (US) could demonstrate ETT tip location in preterm and term newborns and offer a quick alternative method of ETT positioning. Methods: We conducted a prospective pilot study of 30 newborns admitted to the UC San Diego Medical Center who had their ETT placement confirmed by chest radiographs. After a radiograph, each infant had a US exam with a 13-MHz linear transducer on a portable US machine.

Teosinte caused a significant change in the rhizosphere bacterial and fungal community structure and increased bacterial abundance, but no significant Selleckchem MEK inhibitor decrease in bacterial or fungal diversity where the former was found to be significantly greater than in the sweet corn rhizosphere. Popping corn did not trigger significant changes in the bacterial or fungal diversity and bacterial

abundance in the soil. The individual popping corn plants changed the bacterial and fungal communities in different directions and the overall effect on community structure was significant, but small. Of the enzymes analyzed, potential N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG) activity was found to contributed most to the differentiation of teosinte rhizosphere samples from the other corn varieties. The teosinte root system had proportionally more very fine (diameter smaller than 0.03 mm) roots than popping corn and sweet corn and it developed the highest root to shoot dry weight ratio, followed

by popping corn. Sweet corn had significantly lower average root diameter than popping corn and teosinte and grew proportionally the least below-ground dry mass. The results allude to functional and structural differences in the rhizosphere microbial communities of the corn varieties that, with additional research, could lead to useful discoveries on how corn domestication has altered rhizosphere processes and how plant genotype influences nutrient SBE-β-CD cycling. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“BACKGROUND: LDK378 chemical structure Loss of phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted in chromosome 10 (PTEN) function in advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) may represent

one of the resistance mechanisms to cetuximab by interfering with the epidermal growth factor receptor signal transduction pathway.\n\nMETHODS: PTEN expression tested by indirect immunofluorescence was evaluated both on primary (n = 43) and on metastatic (n = 24) sites in CRC patients treated with cetuximab.\n\nRESULTS: The loss of PTEN expression tested on metastatic sites was negatively associated with response (100% progressive disease (PD) in PTEN-negative cases vs 30% PD in PTEN-positive cases; P<0.05), PFS (0.8 vs 8.2 months; P<0.001) and OS (2.9 vs 14.2 months; P<0.001).\n\nCONCLUSION: A potential role of PTEN in the anti-tumour activity of cetuximab could be hypothesised. British Journal of Cancer (2010) 102, 162-164. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6605471 www.bjcancer.com Published online 1 December 2009 (C) 2010 Cancer Research UK”
“Ligand polyvalency is a powerful modulator of protein-receptor interactions. Host-pathogen infection interactions are often mediated by glycan ligand-protein interactions, yet its interrogation with very high copy number ligands has been limited to heterogenous systems.

In organ perfusion studies, shark CFTR was insensitive to inhibition by CFTRinh-172. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/sc79.html This insensitivity was also seen in short-circuit current experiments with cultured rectal gland tubular epithelial cells (maximum

inhibition 4 +/- 1.3%). In oocyte expression studies, shark CFTR was again insensitive to CFTRinh-172 (maximum inhibition 10.3 +/- 2.5% at 25 mu M), pig CFTR was insensitive to glibenclamide (maximum inhibition 18.4 +/- 4.4% at 250 mu M), and all orthologs were sensitive to GlyH-101. The amino acid residues considered responsible by previous site-directed mutagenesis for binding of the three inhibitors are conserved in the four CFTR isoforms studied. These experiments demonstrate a profound difference in the sensitivity of different orthologs of CFTR proteins to inhibition by CFTR blockers that cannot be explained by mutagenesis of single TH-302 research buy amino acids. We believe that

the potency of the inhibitors CFTRinh-172, glibenclamide, and GlyH-101 on the CFTR chloride channel protein is likely dictated by the local environment and the three-dimensional structure of additional residues that form the vestibules, the chloride pore, and regulatory regions of the channel.”
“Bladder cancer is the second most common genitourinary cancer worldwide, yet its oncogenic origins remain poorly understood. The cancer-testis antigen DEPDC1 was shown recently to contribute to bladder cancer oncogenesis. In this study, we examined the biological functions of DEPDC1 and defined a potential therapeutic strategy to target this molecule. Coimmunoprecipitation and immunocytochemistry revealed that DEPDC1 interacted and colocalized with zinc finger transcription factor ZNF224, a known transcriptional repressor. Inhibiting this interaction with a cell-permeable peptide corresponding to the ZNF224-interacting

domain in DEPDC1 induced apoptosis of bladder cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. By inhibiting DEPDC1-ZNF224 complex formation, this peptide triggered transcriptional activation of A20, a potent inhibitor of the NF-kappa B signaling pathway. Our findings indicate selleck chemicals that the DEPDC1-ZNF224 complex is likely to play a critical role in bladder carcinogenesis. Cancer Res; 70(14); 5829-39. (C)2010 AACR.”
“Objectives: Wait times in Canada are increasingly being monitored as an indicator of quality health care delivery. We created a higher resolution picture of the wait experienced by urological surgery patients beginning with the initial referral. In doing so, we hoped to (a) identify potential bottlenecks and common delays at our centre, and (b) identify predictors of wait time.

Moreover, raising blood lipids even moderately by lipid infusion rapidly and significantly interfered with this effect, suggesting that a negative feedback mechanism of blood lipids on circulating CCK might exist.”
“The identification of the etiology of breast cancer is a crucial research issue for the development of an effective preventive and treatment strategies. Researchers are exploring the possible involvement of Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus (MMTV) in causing human breast cancer. Hence, it becomes very important to use a consistent positive control agent in PCR amplification click here based detection of MMTV-Like Sequence (MMTVLS)

in human breast cancer for accurate and reproducible results. This study was done to investigate the feasibility of using genomic DNA of MCF-7 breast cancer cells to detect MMTV-LS using PCR amplification based detection. MMTV env and SAG gene located at the 3′ long terminal repeat

(LTR) sequences were targeted for the PCR based detection. No amplification was observed JQ-EZ-05 in case of the genomic DNA of MCF-7 breast cancer cells. However, the 2.7 kb DNA fragment comprising MMTV env and SAG LTR sequences yielded the products of desired size. From these results it can be concluded that Genomic DNA of MCF-7 cell is not a suitable choice as positive control for PCR or RT-PCR based detection of MMTV-LS. It is also suggested that plasmids containing the cloned genes or sequences of MMTV be used as positive control for detection of MMTV-L.S. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Background. Unrelated cord blood transplantation (UCBT) is associated with delayed hematopoietic recovery. Intrabone injection of cord blood cells (IB-UCBT) and double-UCBT (dUCBT) are designed to circumvent this problem.\n\nMethods. In a retrospective registry-based analysis, we compared outcomes of 87 IB-UCBT with 149 dUCBT recipients, after myeloablative conditioning regimen adjusting for the differences between the two groups. Median-infused Quizartinib total nucleated cells were 2.5 x 10(7)/kg for IB-UCBT and 3.9 x 10(7)/kg for dUCBT (P<0.001).\n\nResults.

At day +30, cumulative incidence (CI) of neutrophil recovery was 76% and 62% (P=0.014) with a median time to engraftment of 23 and 28 days (P=0.001), after IB-UCBT and dUCBT, respectively. At day +180, CI of platelets recovery was 74% after IB-UCBT, and 64%, after dUCBT (P=0.003). In multivariate analysis, IB-UCBT was associated with neutrophil and platelets recovery and lower acute graft versus host disease (II-IV) (P<0.01). At 2 years, CI of nonrelapse mortality and relapse incidence were 30% and 25% after IB-UCBT and 34% and 29% after dUCBT, and disease-free survival was 45% and 37%, respectively. However, after landmark analysis at 4.7 months from transplantation, in multivariate analysis, relapse incidence was reduced (P=0.

The pathophysiological relevance and therapeutic potential remains to be determined, but dual effects of P2Y(2) receptor activation on both the vasculature Rabusertib order and renal salt reabsorption implicate these receptors as potential therapeutic targets in hypertension.”
“[F-18] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is increasingly used for response assessment in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). A positive interim FDG-PET was shown to be associated with an unfavorable outcome in high-grade

non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. For positive interim FDG-PET patients, the question of increasing the intensity of treatment using high-dose chemotherapy followed by auto-SCT (HDC-ASCT) remains unanswered. We retrospectively analyzed the prognostic value of FDG-PET in 42 DLBCL patients who were systematically evaluated at time of diagnosis, before and after HDC-ASCT. Of note, HDC-ASCT was part of the initial treatment strategy, while FDG-PET results did not influence the treatment approach. Results and outcome were analyzed according to FDG-PET results before and after HDC-ASCT. Patients were classified into three groups according to FDG-PET results before and after HDC-ASCT: those who were negative before and after (-/-; n = 25), positive before and negative after (+/-; n = 9) or

positive before and after (+/+; n = 8). The median follow-up was 34.5 (range, 19-74) months. The median EFS was significantly MEK inhibitor drugs lower for the +/+ group (27.4 months) as compared with other groups (median not reached; P = 0.0001). More importantly, there was no difference in term of EFS between the -/-

group compared with the +/- group. These results suggest that HDC-ASCT can significantly improve the bad prognosis, otherwise indicated by a positive interim FDG-PET. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2011) 46, 393-399; doi:10.1038/bmt.2010.130; published online 31 May 2010″
“PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the responsiveness of surgery residents to simulated laparoscopic sigmoidectomy training.\n\nMETHODS: Residents underwent simulated laparoscopic sigmoidectomy training for previously tattooed sigmoid cancer with use of LDN-193189 order disposable abdominal trays in a hybrid simulator to perform a seven-step standardized technique. After baseline testing and training, residents were tested with predetermined proficiency criteria. Content validity was defined as the extent to which outcome measures departed from clinical reality. Content-valid measures of trays were evaluated by two blinded raters. Simulator-generated metrics included path length and smoothness of instrument movements. Responsiveness was defined as change in performance over time and was assessed by comparing baseline testing with unmentored final testing.\n\nRESULTS: For eight weeks, eight postgraduate year 3/4 residents performed 34 resections. Overall operating time (67 vs. 37 min; P = 0.005), flexure (10 vs. 5 min; P = 0.

Western blot analysis showed an increase in the production of Nox4. The production of superoxide also changed in a time-and concentration-dependent manner, with maximum increases after 30-minute exposure to the highest concentrations of Ox and CaOx crystals. Longer exposures did not change the results or resulted in decreased activities. Exposure

to higher concentrations also caused increased lactate dehydrogenase release and trypan blue exclusion indicating cell damage. CONCLUSION Results indicate that cells of the distal GSI-IX concentration tubular origin are equipped with NADPH oxidase that is activated by exposures to Ox and CaOx crystals. Higher concentrations of both lead to cell injury, most probably through the increased reactive oxygen species production by the exposed cells. UROLOGY 83: 510. e1e510.e7, 2014. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc.”
“Objectives To examine different

types of restorative materials used in children as well as primary and permanent teeth enamel when affected by erosive foods. Materials and Method Buttermilk, fruit yoghurt, Coca-cola, fruit juice, Filtek Z-250, Dyract Extra, Fuji II LC, and Fuji IX and tooth enamel were used. Measurements were performed on 1-day, 1-week, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month time periods by using ATR-FTIR technique and surface of the specimens were examined with SEM. Results Permanent tooth showed the least change among human tooth samples when compared to restorative materials. Among filler materials, the most change was observed in Fuji IX. In terms of beverages the most changes on absorption peaks obtained from spectra were seen on the samples held in Coca-Cola and GM6001 nmr orange-juice. Conclusion The exposure of human enamel and restorative materials to acidic drinks may accelerate the degradation LEE011 inhibitor process and so reduce the life time of filler materials at equivalent integral exposure times longer than three months. Clinical Relevance Erosive foods and drinks

having acidic potential destroy not only tooth enamel but also restorative materials. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:79-90, 2014. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.”
“Pay-for-performance programmes have been widely implemented in primary care, but few studies have investigated their potential adverse effects on the intrinsic motivation of general practitioners (GPs) even though intrinsic motivation may be a key determinant of quality in health care. Our aim was to compare methods for developing a composite score of GPs intrinsic motivation and to select one that is most consistent with self-reported data. A postal survey. French GPs practicing in private practice. Using a set of variables selected to characterize the dimensions of intrinsic motivation, three alternative composite scores were calculated based on a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and a two-parameter logistic model (2-PLM).

Then, His-tagged truncated HA protein was expressed in Escherichia BTK inhibitor chemical structure coli BL21 (DE3) under 1 mM IPTG induction. The protein expression was optimized under a time-course induction study and further purified using Ni-NTA agarose under

reducing condition. Migration size of protein was detected at 15 kDa by Western blot using anti-His tag monoclonal antibody and demonstrated no discrepancy compared to its calculated molecular weight.”
“Bismuth oxide may be a promising battery material due to the high gravimetric (690 mAh g(-1)) and volumetric capacities (6280 mAh cm(-3)). However, this intrinsic merit has been compromised by insufficient Li-storage performance due to poor conductivity and structural integrity. Herein, we engineer a heterostructure composed of bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) and bismuth sulphide (Bi2S3) through sulfurization of Bi2O3 nanosheets. Such a hierarchical Bi2O3-Bi2S3 nanostructure can be employed as efficient electrode material for Li storage, due to the high surface see more areas, rich porosity, and unique heterogeneous phase. The electrochemical results show that the heterostructure exhibits a high Coulombic

efficiency (83.7%), stable capacity delivery (433 mAhg(-1) after 100 cycles at 600 mAg(-1)) and remarkable rate capability (295 mAhg(-1) at 6 A g(-1)), notably outperforming reported bismuth based materials. Such superb performance indicates that constructing heterostructure could be a promising strategy towards high-performance electrodes for

rechargeable batteries.”
“A new, low-band-gap alternating copolymer consisting of terthiophene and isoindigo has been designed and synthesized. Solar cells based on this polymer and PC71BM show a power conversion efficiency of 6.3%, which is a record for polymer solar cells based on a polymer with an optical band gap below 1.5 eV. This work demonstrates the great potential of isoindigo moieties as electron-deficient units for building donor-acceptor-type polymers for high-performance polymer solar cells.”
“Objectives. This is a multicenter, collaborative study to accumulate cases of small cell carcinoma of the uterine Selleck Metabolism inhibitor cervix (SmCC), to clarify its clinical and clinicopathologic features and prognosis, and to obtain findings to establish future individualized treatment.\n\nMethods. At medical centers participating in the Kansai Clinical Oncology Group/Intergroup, patients diagnosed with SmCC between 1997 and 2007 were enrolled. Clinicopathologic features and prognosis were retrospectively evaluated in patients with SmCC diagnosed at a central pathologic review.\n\nResults. A total of 71 patients were registered at 25 medical centers in Japan. Of these, 52 patients (73%) were diagnosed with SmCC based on a pathological review. These 52 patients diagnosed with SmCC were analyzed. The median follow-up period was 57 months. The 4-year progression-free survival (PFS) was: IB1, 59%; 182, 68%; IIB, 13%; and IIIB, 17%.