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Similar to mammalian proximal tubular cells, H+-ATPase rich (HR) cells in zebrafish skin and gills are also responsible for Na+ uptake and acid secretion functions. However, the basolateral transport pathways in HR cells are still unclear. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis if there are specific slc4 members involved in basolateral ion transport pathways in HR cells. Fourteen isoforms were identified in the zebrafish(z) slc4 family, and the full-length cDNAs of two novel isoforms, zslc4a1b (anion exchanger, zAE1b) and zslc4a4b (Na+/HCO3- cotransporter, zNBCe1b), were sequenced. mRNA signals of zslc4a1b and zslc4a4b were mainly detected in certain groups of ionocytes in zebrafish skin/gills. Further double immunocytochemistry or in situ hybridization demonstrated that zAE1b, but not zNBCe1b, was localized to basolateral membranes of HR cells. Acclimation to low-Na+ or acidic environments stimulated the mRNA expression of zslc4a1b in zebrafish gills, and loss-of-function of zslc4a1b with specific morpholinos caused significant decreases in both the whole body Na+ content and the skin H+ activity in the morphants. On the basis of these results, it was concluded that zAE1b, but not zNBCe1b, is involved in the basolateral transport pathways in Na+ uptake/acid secretion mechanisms in zebrafish HR cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) is metabolized to active androgens and estrogens, which may have a role in the development of endometrial cancer. Methods: We studied DHEAS conversion to dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in normal and neoplastic endometrium utilizing gas chromatography-mass spectral (GC-MS) analysis. Endometrial homogenate was incubated with known amounts of DHEAS for 4 h at 37°C. Methanol extract was separated from debris by centrifugation, concentrated to 200 μl and 1 μl injected into the GC-MS instrument, equipped with a CP-Sil 8 column. DHEAS and DHEA areas were calculated by autoquantization and DHEA/DHEAS ratio was used for comparing sulfatase activity among normal endometrium (n = 6), Stage I endometrioid carcinoma (EC) (n = 15), Stage I mixed mesodermal Müllerian tumor (MMMT) (n = 6) and Stage I uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) (n = 7). Results: DHEA/DHEAS ratios in normal endometrium, EC, MMMT and UPSC were 1.45 ± 1.10, 5.63 ± 3.27, 2.88 ± 0.99, and 3.04 ± 1.76, respectively. Sulfatase activity was significantly higher in EC when compared with normal endometrium (p < 0.001), MMMT (p < 0.05), and UPSC (p < 0.05). The enzyme activity did not differ significantly between low-grade and high-grade EC tumors (5.8 ± 2.77 and 5.49 ± 3.84, respectively, p > 0.05). Conclusion: Stage I EC have higher sulfatase activity than normal endometrium, and Stage I MMMT and UPSC tumors. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The isoforms of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) types 1 and 2, regulated by ovarian steroids, catalyze the interconversion of glucocorticoids and their 11-keto metabolites. The role of these enzymes in malignancies of human endometrium is unknown. We compare NAD dependent 11β-HSD (type 2) activity levels among normal human endometrium and endometrial carcinomas of differing grades and histologies. Methods: NAD dependent 11β-HSD activity was determined in endometrial tissue obtained from patients undergoing hysterectomy for benign or malignant disease (endometroid, serous and carcinosarcomas). Student’s t test was utilized with p < 0.05 considered significant. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Results: NAD dependent 11β-HSD activity was present in all endometrial samples. The activities were 0.61± 0.27 in normal (n = 9), 0.43 ± 0.29 in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (n = 14), 0.50 ± 0.26 in uterine serous carcinoma (n = 6) and 0.25 ± 0.37 in carcinosarcomas (n = 9). NAD dependent 11β-HSD activity was lower in the carcinosarcoma group as compared to normal endometrial tissue (p = 0.03). Conclusions: NAD dependent type 2 11β-HSD activity was demonstrated in all normal and endometrial tumors. Enzyme activity in endometroid and uterine serious carcinoma tumors was similar to enzyme activity in normal endometrium. In contrast, carcinosarcomas show significantly lower enzyme activity compared to normal tissue. Copyright © 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explored the characteristics of culinary artists. The qualitative research method was employed. Thirteen internationally famous and/or award-winning culinary artists and contest judges participated in this study. In-depth interviews and content analysis were applied. Culinary arts integrate art, culture, and science. Creative culinary artists are usually imaginative, curious, sensitive, passionate, self-confident, open to a broad array of interests, have a huge appetite for art, take reasonable risks, are achievement-oriented, perseverant, with a sense of mission, and honor. Personal culinary creativity is the result of the interaction among personalities, high motivation, thinking disposition, and professional knowledge and experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertebrates need to maintain extracellular chloride (Cl–) concentrations to ensure the normal operation of physiological processes; the transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments necessitated the development of sophisticated mechanisms to ensure Cl– homeostasis in the face of fluctuating Cl– levels. Zebrafish calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), unlike its splice variant calcitonin, does not respond to environmental Ca2+ levels. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that CGRP is involved in the control of body fluid Cl– homeostasis. Acclimation to high-Cl– artificial water stimulated the mRNA expression of cgrp and the receptor (crlr1) when compared with low- Cl–. CGRP knockdown induced upregulation of the Na+-Cl– co-transporter (ncc2b), while overexpression of CGRP resulted in the downregulation of ncc2b mRNA synthesis and a simultaneous decrease in Cl– uptake in embryos. Consistent with these findings, knockdown of either cgrp or crlr1 was found to increase the density of NCC2b-expressing cells in embryos. This is the first demonstration that CGRP acts as a hypochloremic hormone through suppressing NCC2b expression and the differentiation of NCC-expressing ionocytes. Elucidation of this novel function of CGRP in fish body fluid Cl– homeostasis promises to enhance our understanding of the related physiology in vertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of maternal vitamin E supplementation on the antioxidant status of chicks were investigated. Female breeder chicks were fed corn-soybean growing diets without supplemental vitamin E for a 17-wk developmental period. After 17 wk, the birds were randomly assigned to 5 treatments and fed corn-soybean diets supplemented with 0, 40, 80, 120, and 160 mg/kg vitamin E (alI-rac-α-tocopherol acetate), respectively. Blood samples were collected and pullets were artificially inseminated at 35 wk of age. Eggs laid beginning on d 2 after insemination were placed in an incubator. At the time of hatching, 12 chicks from each treatment were randomly sampled and killed. Livers and brains of chicks were collected for the subsequent evaluation of antioxidant status. Plasma vitamin E concentrations increased linearly (P < 0.001; r = 0.997) with the increase in supplemental vitamin E, but those in egg yolk reached a plateau at 120 mg/kg supplemental vitamin E. The malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, an indicator of lipid peroxidation, of chick brain decreased linearly (P < 0.01; r = 0.909) with the increase in supplemental vitamin F. Pullets given 160 mg/kg supplemental vitamin E had lower plasma MDA concentrations than those given 0 mg/kg (P < 0.05). Similar results were found for the reactive oxygen species levels, an indicator of oxidative stress, of chick brain and liver. For antioxidant enzymes, chicks of pullets given 120 mg/kg supplemental vitamin E had higher (P < 0.05) activities of liver catalase than those given 0-80 mg/kg. Chicks of pullets given 160 mg/kg supplemental vitamin E had higher (P < 0.05) activities of brain superoxide dismutase than those given 0-40 mg/kg. These results indicated that maternal supplementation with high levels of vitamin E (120-160 mg/kg) enhances antioxidant capability and depresses oxidative stress in chicks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The optimal sequence of adjuvant chemoradiation in the treatment of advanced endometrial carcinoma (EC) remains unclear. We sought to evaluate the outcomes of patients treated with chemoradiation in sandwich fashion (chemotherapy-radiotherapychemotherapy; CRC), versus those treated sequentially (chemotherapy-radiotherapy; CR) (radiotherapy-chemotherapy; RC), to determine if there is a survival advantaged associated with a particular treatment sequence. Methods: A multicenter retrospective analysis of patients with stage III and IV EC from 2000- 2018 was conducted. Inclusion criteria were patients who had undergone comprehensive surgical staging/tumor debulking; followed by adjuvant chemoradiation. Differences in the frequencies of adverse events were evaluated using Pearson's γ² test. Progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Results: Final analysis included 152 patients; 36.8% (n=56) CRC, 28.9% (n=44) CR, and 34.2% (n=52) RC. Histology included 44.0% endometrioid, 47.5% serous and 8.5% clear cell tumors. There was no difference in the frequency of histology (p=0.973), stage (p=0.143), cytoreduction status (p=0.932), or treatment delays (p=0.571) between adjuvant therapy sequences. The most frequent location of disease recurrence was abdomen. The median PFS favored CRC versus CR or RC (36-months vs. 22-months and 24-months, respectively) (p=0.038), as did the median OS (48-months vs. 28-months and 34-months, respectively) (p=0.003). CRC demonstrated superiority over CR and RC sequencing in terms 3-year PFS (55% vs. 34% and 37%, respectively) and 3-year OS (71% vs. 50% and 52%, respectively). Conclusions: Adjuvant chemoradiation delivered in CRC sequence was associated with improvements in both PFS and OS compared to alternant therapy sequencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the clinicopathologic features and survival outcomes of neuroendocrine tumor of the uterine corpus (NET-U) to endometrioid type endometrial carcinoma (EC). Methods: From 1993 to 2012, the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results cancer registry was queried for women diagnosed with EC or NET-U. Data regarding stage, grade, presence of extra-uterine disease, lymph node metastasis, receipt of adjuvant radiation, surgical intervention and overall survival (OS) was extracted. Chi-square tests, t-tests and Kaplan Meir curves were used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 98,363 patients were identified: 98,245 with EC and 118 with NET-U. The mean age at diagnosis for EC was 61.7 years and 64.8 years for NET-U (p=0.01). NET-U cases were more likely to be poorly differentiated (97.0% vs. 15.6%; p=0.01) and have nodal metastasis (56.4% vs. 11.1%; p=0.01) when compared to EC. Presence of extrapelvic disease at the time of diagnosis was observed more frequently in NET-U compared to EC, 49.1% vs 4.8%, respectively (odds ratio=18; 95% confidence interval=13.1-27.2; p=0.01). Significant improvement in OS was observed in NET-U patient who received radiation (OS: 7.7 vs. 3.3 years; p=0.01) or underwent surgical management (5.6 vs. 0.9 years; p=0.01). The OS for EC was 14.4 vs. 4.6 years for NET-U (p=0.01). Conclusion: NET-U represents an aggressive form of uterine malignancy. When compared to EC, patients with NET-U present at more advanced stage, have more frequent extra-uterine disease and lower OS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the case of a 45-year-old woman who was brought to the emergency department because of persistent right hip pain for four months and high ß-human chorionic gonadotropin level. Results of computed tomographic scan revealed a large infiltrating soft tissue mass in the right hip area with pelvic bony damage. She underwent radiation therapy with chemosensitization for palliation.

The article reports on results of a study of the frequency of and trends in abnormal Pap test results in women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HIV-uninfected women. A description of the study design and methods is presented. The study concluded that among women with HIV in a cervical cancer prevention program, Pap test abnormalities are common. However, high-grade abnormalities are infrequent.

Glucose, which plays a central role in providing energy for metabolism, is primarily stored as glycogen. The synthesis and degradation of glycogen are mainly initialized by glycogen synthase (GS) and glycogen phosphorylase (GP), respectively. The present study aimed to examine the glycogen metabolism in fish liver and gills during acute exposure to seawater. In tilapia (Oreochroinis mossainbicus) gill, GP, GS and glycogen were immunocytochemically colocalized in a specific group of glycogen-rich (GR) cells, which are adjacent to the gill's main ionocytes, mitochondrion-rich (MR) cells. Na+/K+-ATPase activity in the gills, protein expression and/or activity of GP and GS and the glycogen content of the gills and liver were examined in tilapia after their acute transfer from freshwater (FW) to 25‰ seawater (SW). Gill Na+/K+- ATPase activity rapidly increased immediately after SW transfer. Glycogen content in both the gills and liver were significantly depleted after SW transfer, but the depletion occurred earlier in gills than in the liver. Gill GP activity and protein expression were upregulated 1–3 h post-transfer and eventually recovered to the normal level as determined in the control group. At the same time, GS protein expression was downregulated. Similar changes in liver GP and GS protein expression were also observed but they occurred later at 6–12 h post-transfer. In conclusion, GR cells are initially stimulated to provide prompt energy for neighboring MR cells that trigger ion-secretion mechanisms. Several hours later, the liver begins to degrade its glycogen stores for the subsequent energy supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To estimate the risk of and risk factors for progression among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)seropositive women with abnormal cervical cytology but negative colposcopy. Methods: In a prospective cohort study, 391 HIV-seropositive and 103 seronegative women with cervical cytology read as atypical squamous cells (ASC) or low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) but negative colposcopy were followed up for a mean of 4.0 years with cytology at 6-month intervals. Colposcopy was prescribed for any epithelial abnormality. Results: Progression to CIN2, CIN3, high-grade SIL/severe dysplasia, or cancer occurred in 47 (12%) HIV-seropositive women and 4 (4%) HIV-seronegative women (P = .02). Progression to CIN1 was seen in an additional 12 HIV-seropositive women and 1 seronegative woman. In multivariate analysis, high-risk but not low-risk HPV detection (hazard ratio [HR] 2.46-95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-5.12, P = .02 for high risk, HR 1.41, 95% CI 0.62-3.21, P = .42 for low risk), satisfactory colposcopy (HR 2.01, 95% CI 1.11-3.65, P = .02), and non-Hispanic African-American ethnicity (HR 5.08, 95% CI 1.72-14.98, P = .003) were the only factors associated with progression, while HIV serostatus was marginally significant (HR 2.53, 95% CI 0.85-7.50, P = .09). Conclusion: Human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive women with negative colposcopy after borderline cytology face a higher risk of progression than seronegative women, but the absolute risk is low and becomes nonsignificant after controlling for HPV risk type, ethnicity, and colposcopic findings. Observation is appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) and Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin B-6 for children were recently estimated by extrapolating from adult values because of limited available information. To determine vitamin B-6 requirements and provide recommendations for intakes, vitamin B-6 intake, nutritional status and anthropometry of 168 healthy children (79 boys and 89 girls) were studied in Tainan, Taiwan. Direct and indirect vitamin B-6 status indicators were measured in plasma, erythrocytes and urine. Anthropometric data of children in this study were similar to those of the first Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT) conducted in 1993-1996. The plasma pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) concentration of each child was >/=30 nmol/L, indicating an adequate vitamin B-6 status. Daily dietary vitamin B-6 intakes of boys and girls were 0.80 +/- 0.16 and 0.74 +/- 0.16 mg/d, respectively. Daily dietary vitamin B-6 intakes of children who had adequate urinary 4-pyridoxic acid (4-PA) (>3.0 micro mol/L), erythrocyte alanine aminotransferase activity coefficient (EALT-AC) (<1.25) and aspartate aminotransferase activity coefficient (EAST-AC) (<1.8) were not different from those of children who had adequate plasma PLP, although the percentages of adequacy for urinary 4-PA, EALT-AC and EAST-AC ranged from 20 to 91%. Vitamin B-6 status indicators were strongly correlated with vitamin B-6 intake. Adequate values of PLP, EALT-AC, EAST-AC and urinary 4-PA were used to determine the EAR according to Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) committee methodology. We determined the vitamin B-6 EAR (RDA) for boys and girls aged 7-12 y to be 0.84 (1.01) and 0.75 (0.89) mg/d, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]