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Aquaporin 4 (AQP4)-IgG-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (AQP4-IgG+NMOSD) is an autoimmune astrocytopathic disease pathologically characterized by the massive destruction and regeneration of astrocytes with diverse types of tissue injury with or without complement deposition. However, it is unknown whether this diversity is derived from differences in pathological processes or temporal changes. Furthermore, unlike for the demyelinating lesions in multiple sclerosis, there has been no staging of astrocytopathy in AQP4-IgG+NMOSD based on astrocyte morphology. Therefore, we classified astrocytopathy of the disease by comparing the characteristic features, such as AQP4 loss, inflammatory cell infiltration, complement deposition and demyelination activity, with the clinical phase. We performed histopathological analyses in eight autopsied cases of AQP4-IgG+NMOSD. Cases comprised six females and two males, with a median age of 56.5 years (range, 46–71 years) and a median disease duration of 62.5 months (range, 0.6–252 months). Astrocytopathy in AQP4-IgG+NMOSD was classified into the following four stages defined by the astrocyte morphology and immunoreactivity for GFAP: (i) astrocyte lysis: extensive loss of astrocytes with fragmented and/or dust-like particles; (ii) progenitor recruitment: loss of astrocytes except small nucleated cells with GFAP-positive fibre-forming foot processes; (iii) protoplasmic gliosis: presence of star-shaped astrocytes with abundant GFAP-reactive cytoplasm; and (iv) fibrous gliosis: lesions composed of densely packed mature astrocytes. The astrocyte lysis and progenitor recruitment stages dominated in clinically acute cases (within 2 months after the last recurrence). Findings common to both stages were the loss of AQP4, a decreased number of oligodendrocytes, the selective loss of myelin-associated glycoprotein and active demyelination with phagocytic macrophages. The infiltration of polymorphonuclear cells and T cells (CD4-dominant) and the deposition of activated complement (C9neo), which reflects the membrane attack complex, a hallmark of acute NMOSD lesions, were selectively observed in the astrocyte lysis stage (98.4% in astrocyte lysis, 1.6% in progenitor recruitment, and 0% in protoplasmic gliosis and fibrous gliosis). Although most of the protoplasmic gliosis and fibrous gliosis lesions were accompanied by inactive demyelinated lesions with a low amount of inflammatory cell infiltration, the deposition of complement degradation product (C3d) was observed in all four stages, even in fibrous gliosis lesions, suggesting the past or chronic occurrence of complement activation, which is a useful finding to distinguish chronic lesions in NMOSD from those in multiple sclerosis. Our staging of astrocytopathy is expected to be useful for understanding the unique temporal pathology of AQP4-IgG+NMOSD.

To clarify the details of mothers' employment status after the completion of their child's cancer treatment.A cross-sectional exploratory study.Data are collected from 62 mothers of childhood cancer survivors using self-report questionnaires. Fisher's exact test was used to determine the statistical significance of factors between the mothers who worked and those who did not work after their child's cancer treatment had been completed.Thirty-two mothers worked after the completion of their child's cancer treatment. There were significant differences in age, education level, employment status at the diagnosis and time elapsed since the diagnosis between the working mothers and non-working mothers. Twenty-two non-working mothers reported that they had some motivation to work, but the most common reason for not working was "To nurse or care for the child with cancer". Some mothers also stated that they did not work due to anxiety about cancer recurrence.

Introduction Thyroid storm is a rare life-threating condition. We report a case of thyroid storm after radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus. Case presentation A 76-year-old man with a left renal tumor and tumor thrombus extending into the inferior vena cava underwent left radical nephrectomy and thrombectomy. After the surgery, his postoperative course rapidly deteriorated, including central nervous system disturbance, fever, tachycardia, congestive heart failure, and hepatic manifestation. Thyroid function test revealed perioperative hyperthyroidism. Corticosteroids and inorganic iodide improved his condition, suggesting that he developed thyroid storm after surgery. He was discharged 5 months after surgery and has been free from disease recurrence for more than 2 years. Conclusion Thyroid storm after surgery is rare. However, this postoperative complication is important because it is fatal if not diagnosed and treated properly.

Although the routine use of immunohistochemistry has improved the accuracy of histopathologic diagnosis in clinical practice, new methods for discovering novel diagnostic markers are still needed. We sought new diagnostic markers for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) using a reverse translational approach with limited archival tissues from a very rare case. Total RNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues of a synchronous collision tumor consisting of MPM and pulmonary adenocarcinoma (PAC) was employed for gene expression profiling (GEP) analysis. Among the 54 genes selected by GEP analysis, we finally identified the following two candidate MPM marker genes: PHGDH and TRIM29. Immunohistochemical analysis of 48 MM and 20 PAC cases showed that both PHGDH and TRIM29 had sensitivity and specificity almost equivalent to those of calretinin (sensitivity 50% and 46% vs. 63%, and specificity 95% and 100% vs. 100%, respectively). Importantly, of the 23 epithelioid MMs, all 3 calretinin-negative cases were positive for TRIM29. These two markers may be diagnostically useful for immunohistochemical distinction between MPMs and PACs. This successful reverse translational approach based on FFPE samples from one very rare case encourages the further use of such samples for the development of novel diagnostic markers.

Objectives Although many studies have examined locomotive syndrome (LS) among elderly people, few studies have examined LS in young‐ and middle‐aged adults. This study aimed to provide basic data on the epidemiological characteristics of LS, including in young‐ and middle‐aged adults. Method We conducted a cross‐sectional survey of a nonrandom sample of 852 adults aged 18–64 (678 males, 174 females) working in five companies in Japan, between December 2015 and February 2018. LS stage was determined using the criteria proposed by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA). LS stage 0 was defined as No‐LS, and stages 1 and 2 were defined as LS. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the independent relationship between LS and sociodemographic, smoking, alcohol drinking (AD), frequency of breakfast consumption (FBC), dietary variety score (DVS), and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) activity score after adjusting for age and sex. Results We found that 23.1% of participants were evaluated as LS, including 21.5% of males and 29.3% of females (P

// Naoko Ishida 1 , Motoi Baba 1 , Yutaka Hatanaka 2, 3 , Kanako Hagio 1 , Hiromi Okada 2 , Kanako C. Hatanaka 3 , Kenichi Togashi 4 , Yoshihiro Matsuno 2, 3 and Hiroko Yamashita 1 1 Department of Breast Surgery, Hokkaido University Hospital, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan 2 Department of Surgical Pathology, Hokkaido University Hospital, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan 3 Research Division of Companion Diagnostics, Hokkaido University Hospital, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan 4 Roche Diagnostics K.K., Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0075, Japan Correspondence to: Hiroko Yamashita, email: hirokoy@huhp.hokudai.ac.jp Keywords: breast cancer; estrogen receptor; PIK3CA; AKT Ser473; ERα Ser167 Received: June 27, 2017 Accepted: February 28, 2018 Published: April 03, 2018 ABSTRACT Although endocrine therapy is the most important treatment option in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer, new strategies, such as molecular targeted agents together with endocrine therapy are required to improve survival. PIK3CA is the most frequent mutated gene in ER-positive early breast cancers, and PIK3CA mutation status is reported to affect activation of AKT and ERα. Moreover, recent studies demonstrate that patients had a better prognosis when tumors expressed ER, androgen receptor (AR), and vitamin D receptor (VDR). In this study, we examined expression of AR and VDR, phosphorylation of AKT serine (Ser) 473 (AKT phospho-Ser473) and ERα Ser167 (ERα phospho-Ser167) by immunohistochemistry in ER-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer. PIK3CA gene mutations were also detected in genomic DNA extracted from tumor blocks. Correlations between these biological markers, clinicopathological factors and prognosis were analyzed. Levels of AKT phospho-Ser473 were significantly higher in premenopausal women than in postmenopausal women. In contrast, AR expression was significantly higher in postmenopausal women than in premenopausal women. PIK3CA mutations were detected in 47% in premenopausal women and 47% in postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal women with PIK3CA wild-type tumors had significantly worse disease-free survival than patients with PIK3CA mutant tumors. Low levels of AKT phospho-Ser473 and high levels of ERα phospho-Ser167 were strongly associated with increased disease-free survival in postmenopausal women. Evaluation of ERα activation, in addition to PIK3CA mutation status, might be helpful in identifying patients who are likely to benefit from endocrine therapy alone versus those who are not in postmenopausal ER-positive early breast cancer.

A catalytically assisted etching method, named Catalyst-Referred Etching (CARE) was applied to the planarization of Lithium Niobate (LN) surface, which is widely used for optical waveguides, optical modulators, piezoelectric applications. The study demonstrates that an atomically smooth surface with less than 0.1 nm root-mean-square roughness could be achieved on a LN substrate using a thin metal film and pure water as the catalyst and etching solution, respectively. All residual stress and surface damage could be removed completely thanks to the removal mechanism of CARE.

Background Muir–Torre syndrome (MTS) is a rare autosomal dominant genodermatosis caused by mutations in mismatch repair genes. It is characterized by the presence of at least one sebaceous skin tumor associated with internal malignancies. Whether positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is useful for the detection of malignancies in patients with MTS has not been determined. We herein report two cases in which PET/CT was useful for the diagnosis and follow-up of internal malignancies in patients with MTS. Case presentation In case 1, a 57-year-old woman underwent excision of a sebaceous carcinoma on the left upper eyelid. She underwent follow-up PET/CT once yearly thereafter. Forty-two months after the eyelid surgery, PET/CT showed intense tracer uptake in the right lower abdomen. An ascending colon tumor was identified, and examination of a biopsy specimen showed adenocarcinoma. In case 2, a 77-year-old man presented for evaluation of three continuous papules with telangiectasia on his right cheek. Examination of a skin biopsy specimen of the cheek papule revealed a sebaceous carcinoma. He underwent PET/CT to detect other malignancies. PET/CT showed intense tracer uptake in the sigmoid colon. A sigmoid colon tumor was identified, and examination of a biopsy specimen showed adenocarcinoma. Both patients underwent resection of their tumors, and both were still free of recurrence of the sebaceous and colon carcinomas at the time of this writing. Conclusion PET/CT is a reliable imaging modality for the detection of internal malignancies and is useful for the diagnosis and follow-up of MTS.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinicopathological features of cystic lesions in the eyelid. Clinicopathological profiles were retrospectively searched based on medical records of 35 patients with cystic lesions of the eyelids, which were surgically resected from January 2003 to June 2016. The cohort consisted of 16 men and 19 women. The mean age of the patients was 57±24 years. The main locations of the cysts were the upper eyelid in 22 patients, followed by the lower eyelid in 5 patients. Eyelid skin and its appendages were the most common as the origin of cysts, followed by the tarsus, palpebral conjunctiva and lacrimal gland. The histopathological diagnoses were 16 epidermal cysts, 5 intratarsal keratinous cysts, 3 conjunctival cysts, 2 trichilemmal cysts, 1 dermoid cyst, 1 apocrine hidrocystoma, 1 lacrimal gland cyst and 6 unclassifiable cysts. All cysts did not recur following resection. In summary, cystic lesions of the eyelid were frequently observed in the upper eyelid. The most frequent diagnoses were epidermal cysts, followed by intratarsal keratinous cysts, while a definitive diagnosis in some cysts could not be pathologically determined, as they lacked epithelia and/or the contents or they resembled apocrine hidrocystoma and intratarsal keratinous cysts with atypical findings. The results of the current study indicate that the incidence and differential diagnosis of eyelid cystic lesions may contribute to the application of appropriate treatment for patients with eyelid tumors.

Background High-density Lipoprotein (HDL) attenuates endothelial cell apoptosis induced by different cell-death stimuli such as oxidation or growth factor deprivation. HDL is the main plasma carrier of the bioactive lipid sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), which it is a signaling molecule that promotes cell survival in response to several apoptotic stimuli. In HDL, S1P is bound to Apolipoprotein M (ApoM), a Lipocalin that is only present in around 5% of the HDL particles. The goal of this study is to characterize ApoM-bound S1P role in endothelial apoptosis protection and the signaling pathways involved. Methods Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) cultures were switched to serum/grow factor deprivation medium to induce apoptosis and the effect caused by the addition of ApoM and S1P analyzed. Results The addition of HDL+ApoM or recombinant ApoM-bound S1P promoted cell viability and blocked apoptosis, whereas HDL-ApoM had no protective effect. Remarkably, S1P exerted a more potent anti-apoptotic effect when carried by ApoM as compared to albumin, or when added as free molecule. Mechanistically, cooperation between S1P1 and S1P3 was required for the HDL/ApoM/S1P-mediated anti-apoptotic ability. Furthermore, AKT and ERK phosphorylation was also necessary to achieve the anti-apoptotic effect of the HDL/ApoM/S1P complex. Conclusions Altogether, our results indicate that ApoM and S1P are key elements of the anti-apoptotic activity of HDL and promote optimal endothelial function. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12944-017-0429-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Yoshio Ichii, Hiromi Okada, Hiroki Nakamori, Akihiko Ueda, Hiroyuki Yamaguchi, Satoshi Matsuyama, and Kazuto Yamauchi, "Development of a glue-free bimorph mirror for use in vacuum chambers", Review of Scientific Instruments 90, 021702 (2019), https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5066105., PZT (lead zirconate titanate)-glued bimorph deformable mirrors are widely used in hard X-ray regimes; however, they have not yet been used in soft X-ray regimes because they are less compatible for usage under high vacuum. In this study, we developed a glue-free bimorph deformable mirror, in which silver nano-particles were employed to bond PZT actuators to mirror substrates. Under an appropriate bonding condition, the bonding layer was confirmed to be uniform and the mirror's bending characteristics were demonstrated to be sufficiently stable; its gas emission rate was also shown to be acceptable. Piezo responses before and after additional heating at 200 °C showed the thermal stability of its bonding and bending properties.

The staphylococcal superantigen-like protein (SSL) family is composed of 14 exoproteins sharing structural similarity with superantigens but no superantigenic activity. Target proteins of four SSLs have been identified to be involved in host immune responses. However, the counterparts of other SSLs have been functionally uncharacterized. In this study, we have identified porcine plasma prothrombin as SSL10-binding protein by affinity purification using SSL10-conjugated Sepharose. The resin recovered the prodomain of prothrombin (fragment 1 + 2) as well as factor Xa in pull-down analysis. The equilibrium dissociation constant between SSL10 and prothrombin was 1.36 × 10−7 m in surface plasmon resonance analysis. On the other hand, the resin failed to recover γ-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) domain-less coagulation factors and prothrombin from warfarin-treated mice, suggesting that the Gla domain of the coagulation factors is essential for the interaction. SSL10 prolonged plasma clotting induced by the addition of Ca2+ and factor Xa. SSL10 did not affect the protease activity of thrombin but inhibited the generation of thrombin activity in recalcified plasma. S. aureus produces coagulase that non-enzymatically activates prothrombin. SSL10 attenuated clotting induced by coagulase, but the inhibitory effect was weaker than that on physiological clotting, and SSL10 did not inhibit protease activity of staphylothrombin, the complex of prothrombin with coagulase. These results indicate that SSL10 inhibits blood coagulation by interfering with activation of coagulation cascade via binding to the Gla domain of coagulation factor but not by directly inhibiting thrombin activity. This is the first finding that the bacterial protein inhibits blood coagulation via targeting the Gla domain of coagulation factors.

The development of next-generation sequences has brought not only high-throughput sequencing but also new possibilities for various kinds of analysis methods of genetic information. Dr. Hayashizaki et al. developed new technologies to construct the full-length cDNA library and applied them to high-throughput sequencing technologies for large-scale transcriptome analysis. These analysis results overturned the conventional assumption the 2% of the genome is transcribed by showing that 70% or more of the genome is transcribed as RNA through FANTOM activities which was founded in 2000 on their initiative. Further, the existence of 23,000 non-protein coding RNAs was confirmed. These new findings redefine the central dogma into a new picture containing new interaction cascade and the unexpected complexity of combined omics. The neo central dogma shows that there are three types of final products derived from genes; long ncRNA, small ncRNA, and protein. They play essential roles by forming complexes with each other to maintain life. Long ncRNA and small ncRNA play a role as a ligand with sequence information. Long ncRNA and protein play a role as a functional molecule. Here, I would like to introduce the neo central dogma concept and some of the mechanisms of ncRNAs.

X-ray spectromicroscopy with a full-field imaging technique is a powerful method for chemical analysis of heterogeneous complex materials with a nano-scale spatial resolution. For imaging optics, an X-ray reflective optical system has excellent capabilities with highly efficient, achromatic, and long-working-distance properties. An advanced Kirkpatrick–Baez geometry that combines four independent mirrors with elliptic and hyperbolic shapes in both horizontal and vertical directions was developed for this purpose, although the complexity of the system has a limited applicable range. Here, we present an optical system consisting of two monolithic imaging mirrors. Elliptic and hyperbolic shapes were formed on a single substrate to achieve both high resolution and sufficient stability. The mirrors were finished with a ~1-nm shape accuracy using elastic emission machining. The performance was tested at SPring-8 with a photon energy of approximately 10 keV. We could clearly resolve 50-nm features in a Siemens star without chromatic aberration and with high stability over 20 h. We applied this system to X-ray absorption fine structure spectromicroscopy and identified elements and chemical states in specimens of zinc and tungsten micron-size particles.

Background: Although asbestos acts as a potent carcinogen in pleural mesothelial and pulmonary epithelial cells, it still remains unclear whether asbestos causes specific and characteristic gene alterations in these different kinds of target cells, because direct comparison in an identical patient is not feasible. We experienced a rare synchronous collision tumor composed of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) and primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma (PAC) in a 77-year-old man with a history of long-term smoking and asbestos exposure, and compared the DNA copy number alteration (CNA) and somatic mutation in these two independent tumors. Methods: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues of MPM and PAC lesions from the surgically resected specimen were used. Each of these MPM and PAC lesions exhibited a typical histology and immunophenotype. CNA analysis using SNP array was performed using the Illumina Human Omni Express-12_FFPE (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) with DNA extracts from each lesion. Somatic mutation analysis using next-generation sequencing was performed using the TruSeq Amplicon Cancer Panel (Illumina). Results: The CNA analysis demonstrated a marked difference in the frequency of gain and loss between MPM and PAC. In PAC, copy number (CN) gain was detected more frequently and widely than CN loss, whereas in MPM there was no such obvious difference. PAC did not harbor CNAs that have been identified in asbestos-associated lung cancer, but did harbor some of the CNAs associated with smoking. MPM exhibited CN loss at 9p21.2-3, which is the most common genetic alteration in mesothelioma. Conclusion: In this particular case, asbestos exposure may not have played a primary role in PAC carcinogenesis, but cigarette smoking may have contributed more to the occurrence of CN gains in PAC. This comparative genetic analysis of two different lesions with same amount of asbestos exposure and cigarette smoke exposure has provided information on differences in the cancer genome related to carcinogenesis.

Background: Vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) is a life- and sight-threatening disorder. The aim of this study was to analyze the usefulness of the cell block method for diagnosis of VRL. Methods: Sixteen eyes in 12 patients with VRL, and 4 eyes in 4 patients with idiopathic uveitis presenting with vitreous opacity were enrolled in this study. Both undiluted vitreous and diluted fluids were isolated during micro-incision vitrectomy. Cell block specimens were prepared in 19 eyes from diluted fluid containing shredding vitreous. These specimens were then submitted for HE staining as well as immunocytological analyses with antibodies against the B-cell marker CD20, the T-cell marker CD3, and cell proliferation marker Ki67. Conventional smear cytology was applied in 14 eyes with VRL using undiluted vitreous samples. The diagnosis of VRL was made based on the results of cytology, concentrations of interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-6 in undiluted vitreous, and immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement analysis. Results: Atypical lymphoid cells were identified in 14 out of 15 cell block specimens of VRL (positive rate: 93.3 %), but in 5 out of 14 eyes in conventional smear cytology (positive rate: 35.7 %). Atypical lymphoid cells showed immunoreactivity for CD20 and Ki67. Seven cell block specimens were smear cytology-negative and cell block-positive. The cell block method showed no atypical lymphoid cells in any patient with idiopathic uveitis. Conclusions: Cell block specimens using diluted vitreous fluid demonstrated a high diagnostic sensitivity and a low pseudo-positive rate for the cytological diagnosis of VRL. The cell block method contributed to clear differentiation between VRL and idiopathic uveitis with vitreous opacity., 背景：眼内リンパ腫（VRL）は視力・生命予後に影響を及ぼす疾患である。本研究ではVRLの診断における細胞塊（セルブロック）標本の有用性を検討することを目的とした。症例と方法：北海道大学病院眼科および他院を受診したVRL12例16眼、および硝子体混濁を呈した特発性ぶどう膜炎4例4眼を対象とした。小切開硝子体手術により、無希釈硝子体液および硝子体灌流液を採取した。19眼で、硝子体灌流液を用いたセルブロック標本を作製した。これらの標本を用いて特殊染色、およびB細胞マーカーである抗CD20抗体の免疫細胞化学的検討を行った。14眼では無希釈硝子体液を用いた塗抹細胞診を併せて行った。VRLの診断は、細胞診、無希釈硝子体液のIL-10, -6濃度、灌流液沈殿物から遺伝子再構成部位のモノクローナリティについて検討して行った。結果：VRLの15眼中14眼でセルブロック標本にて悪性リンパ腫細胞が検出された（陽性率：93.3％）。一方、塗抹細胞診では5眼で悪性細胞が検出された（陽性率：35.7％）。塗抹細胞診で陰性、セルブロックで陽性を示したIOL症例は7例8眼であった。特発性ぶどう膜炎では、悪性細胞が検出された症例はなかった（陽性率：0％）。VRL細胞はCD20陽性を示したが、特発性ぶどう膜炎ではCD20陽性細胞は検出されなかった。結語：硝子体灌流液を用いたセルブロック細胞診は、これまでの塗抹細胞診よりVRLの陽性率が高く、偽陽性も無かった。セルブロックは、VRLとぶどう膜炎との鑑別にも有用であることが示唆された。

application/vnd.ms-powerpoint, application/msword, Wild-type measles virus (MV) isolated in B95a cells could be adapted to Vero cells after several blind passages. In this study, we have determined the complete nucleotide sequences of the genomes of the wild type (T11wild) and its Vero cell-adapted (T11Ve-23) MV strain and identified amino acid substitutions R516G, E271K, D439E and G464W (D439E/G464W), N481Y/H495R, and Y187H/L204F in the nucleocapsid, V, fusion (F), hemagglutinin (H), and large proteins, respectively. Expression of mutated H and F proteins from cDNA revealed that the H495R substitution, in addition to N481Y, in the H protein was necessary for the wild-type H protein to use CD46 efficiently as a receptor and that the G464W substitution in the F protein was important for enhanced cell-cell fusion. Recombinant wild-type MV strains harboring the F protein with the mutations D439E/G464W [F(D439E/G464W)] and/or H(N481Y/H495R) protein revealed that both mutated F and H proteins were required for efficient syncytium formation and virus growth in Vero cells. Interestingly, a recombinant wild-type MV strain harboring the H(N481Y/H495R) protein penetrated slowly into Vero cells, while a recombinant wild-type MV strain harboring both the F(D439E/G464W) and H(N481Y/H495R) proteins penetrated efficiently into Vero cells, indicating that the F(D439E/G464W) protein compensates for the inefficient penetration of a wild-type MV strain harboring the H(N481Y/H495R) protein. Thus, the F and H proteins synergistically function to ensure efficient wild-type MV growth in Vero cells.

Thymic epithelial cells can produce many kinds of cytokines, and interleukin (IL)-6-producing thymic carcinoma cases have been reported. However, a cytokine-producing human thymic tumor cell line has not previously been established. In this paper, we report a novel, multiple inflammatory cytokine-productive cell line that was established from a patient with thymic carcinoma. This cell line, designated ThyL-6, positively expressed epithelial membrane antigen, cytokeratins, vimentin intermediate filament and CD5, although hematological markers were not present in the cells. Cytokine antibody array analysis showed that the cells secreted several cytokines including IL-1alpha, IL-6, IL-8, RANTES, soluble TNFalpha-receptor 1, VEGF and CTLA into the culture medium. The addition of ThyL-6-cultured supernatant supported the growth of human myeloma ILKM-3 cells, which require the presence of IL-6 in the culture medium for the maintenance of cell growth, suggesting that the secreted IL-6 from ThyL-6 cells was biologically active. Chromosome analysis demonstrated that ThyL-6 cells had complex karyotype anomalies, including der(16)t(1;16); the latter has been recognized in thymic squamous cell carcinoma and thymic sarcomatoid carcinoma cases, as well as in several other kinds of malignancies. Heterotransplantation of the cells into nude mice showed tumorigenesis with neutrophil infiltration and liquefactive necrosis. These findings suggest that ThyL-6 cells will provide us with a new experimental tool for investigating not only the pathogenesis, biological behavior, chromo-somal analysis and therapeutic reagents of human thymic carcinoma, but also for studying cytokine-chemokine network systems.

The use of indium–gallium–zinc oxide (IGZO) has paved the way for high-resolution uniform displays or integrated circuits with transparent and flexible devices. However, achieving highly reliable devices that use IGZO for low-temperature processes remains a technological challenge. We propose the use of IGZO thin-film transistors (TFTs) with an ionic-liquid gate dielectric in order to achieve high-density carrier-accumulated IGZO TFTs with high reliability and we discuss a distinctive mechanism for the degradation of this organic–inorganic hybrid device under long-term electrical stress. Our results demonstrated that an ionic liquid or gel gate dielectric provides highly reliable and low-voltage operation with IGZO TFTs. Furthermore, high-density carrier accumulation helps improve the TFT characteristics and reliability and it is highly relevant to the electronic phase control of oxide materials and the degradation mechanism for organic–inorganic hybrid devices.

Background: Due to variations in location and size, laparoscopic surgery for paraaortic or paracaval neurogenic tumors is challenging. We evaluated the surgical outcomes, as well as surgical tips and tricks. Methods: Between 2000 and 2015, 25 procedures were performed in 24 patients. One patient underwent second surgery due to the recurrence of paraganglioma. Data were collected on the tumor diameter, tumor location, perioperative outcomes, pathology, and last known disease status. Regarding the operative procedures, we reviewed the operative charts or videos to identify surgical tips and tricks. Results: The median tumor diameter was 5.0 cm (range, 1.5-10). The tumor location was suprahilar in 10, hilar in 6, and infrahilar in 9. Regarding the approach, a transperitoneal approach was selected in 24 cases and retroperitoneal approach in 1. The median operative time and blood loss were 208 minutes (range, 73-513) and 10 mL (range, 0-1,020), respectively. No patient required blood transfusion or conversion to open surgery. Pathological examination revealed paraganglioma in 12, ganglioneuroma in 7, and schwannoma in 6. At the last follow-up, 23 patients were free of disease, while one patient developed metastatic multiple recurrence of paraganglioma 54 months after the second laparoscopic surgery. A review of the surgical records revealed several tips and tricks, including taping the vena cava/ renal vein (n=2) being helpful for detaching a retrocaval tumor from these great vessels, or rotating the kidney to provide a favorable operative view of tumors behind the renal hilum (n=2). In recent cases, 3D-CT was helpful for preoperative planning. Conclusion: Laparoscopic resection of paraaortic or paracaval neurogenic tumors is feasible in experienced hands. Surgeons should be familiar with detaching maneuvers around great vessels and the mobilization of adjacent organs. Careful preoperative planning is mandatory.

OBJETIVO: o presente trabalho de pesquisa analisou os efeitos da tração reversa da maxila associada à anquilose intencional dos caninos decíduos superiores, mediante o emprego da cefalometria. METODOLOGIA: o protocolo de tratamento incluiu: 1) anquilose intencional dos caninos decíduos superiores; 2) expansão rápida da maxila e 3) tração reversa da maxila, imediatamente após o término da fase ativa da expansão. A amostra foi composta de 18 crianças nos estágios de dentadura decídua e dentadura mista, com idade média inicial de 7 anos e 1 mês. O intervalo médio de tratamento com a tração reversa da maxila foi de 1 ano e 1 mês. As telerradiografias laterais foram obtidas na documentação inicial e após a correção da Classe III. RESULTADOS E CONCLUSÕES: os resultados demonstram que os ângulos representativos da convexidade facial, NAP e ANB, aumentaram de 0º para 6,6º e 3,5º, respectivamente. Isso significa dizer que a face transformou-se de reta ou côncava, peculiar na Classe III, para uma face convexa, característica de normalidade no estágio avaliado. Essa melhora na convexidade facial é atribuída ao avanço da maxila, registrado tanto na região alveolar (ângulo SNA e as distâncias Co-A e NPerp-A) como na região basal (ângulo SN.ENA). A maxila deslocou-se para frente, enquanto a redução do ângulo SNB de 80,56º para 79,61º demonstrou um retroposicionamento mandibular. Além da mudança no sentido sagital, houve rotação da mandíbula no sentido horário, com aumento dos ângulos SN.GoGn e SN.Gn. Somado aos efeitos ortopédicos, houve inclinação vestibular dos incisivos superiores.AIM: the current article analyses the effects of maxillary protraction associated to the intentional ankylosis of the deciduous canines on the basis of cephalometric measurements. METHODS: the treatment protocol included: 1) intentional ankylosis of the upper deciduous canines; 2) rapid palatal expansion and 3) maxillary protraction performed immediately after the end of the expansion. The sample was comprised of 18 patients equally divided according to gender, in the primary and mixed dentition. The mean treatment time with maxillary protraction was 1 year. The lateral radiographs were taken in the beginning of the treatment and after correction of the Class III malocclusion. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: the results show that the facial convexity angles - NAP and ANB - increased from 0º to 6.6º and 3.5º, respectively. This means that the patients’ profile changed from straight or concave, which is typical in the Class III malocclusion, to convex, which is typical in normal occlusion. Such an improvement in the facial convexity is due to the maxillary advancement, evidenced both in the dentoalveolar (SNA angle and Nperp-A measurement) and in the basal areas (SN.ANS angle). The maxilla was anteriorly displaced while the reduction of the SNB angle from 80.56º to 79.61º demonstrated a mandibular retropositioning. Besides the sagittal alterations, the mandible presented a clockwise rotation, with increase in the SN.GoGn and SN.Gn angles. Dental compensation was also noticed, represented by the buccal inclination of the upper incisors.

Mass production of a rare aldohexose D-allose from D-psicose was achieved in a batch reaction by crude recombinant L-rhamnose isomerase (L-RhI) cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. The D-psicose substrate was, in turn, mass produced from a naturally abundant ketohexose D-fructose by immobilized recombinant D-tagatose 3-epimerase (D-TE). At an equilibrium state, 25% of D-psicose was isomerized to D-allose, that is, 25 g of D-allose was obtained from 100 g of D-psicose. The D-allose product was easily separated and crystallized from the reaction mixture that contains 25%D-allose, 8%D-altrose and 67%D-psicose using ethanol. Empirically, approximately 338 g, that is, 90% of a theoretical overall yield for the purification of pure D-allose crystals was produced from 1.5 kg of D-psicose within 30 d using a constructed bioreactor. The cross-linked enzyme had an operative half-life of two months after repeated usages.

Content Distribution Networks (CDNs) are highly advanced architectures for networks on the Internet, providing low latency, scalability, fault tolerance, and load balancing. One of the most important issues to realize these advantages of CDNs is dynamic content allocation to deal with temporal load fluctuation, which provides mirroring of content files in order to distribute user accesses. Since user accesses for content files change over time, the content files need to be reallocated appropriately. In this paper, we propose a cost-effective content migration method called the Step-by-Step (SxS) Migration Algorithm for CDNs, which can dynamically relocate content files while reducing transmission cost. We show that our method maintains sufficient performance while reducing cost in comparison to the conventional shortest-path migration method. Furthermore, we present six life cycle models of content to consider realistic traffic patterns in our simulation experiments. Finally, we evaluate the effectiveness of our SxS Migration Algorithm for dynamic content reconfiguration across time.

Bluetooth utilizes fast frequency hopping to mitigate interference from other wireless devices and other Bluetooth piconets that share the same frequency range. However, it still cannot avoid the interference between piconets entirely. In our simulation, we observed that the inter-piconet interference can significantly degrade the system throughput by more than 10%. The system throughput within a piconet can be improved by a proper arrangement of the segmentation/reassembling (SAR) policy and a good selection of MAC scheduling protocols. Many SAR policies and MAC scheduling protocols were proposed, but none of them takes the inter-piconet interference into consideration. In this paper, we study the impact of the interference on the performance of TCP traffic over a Bluetooth scatternet with multiple overlapping piconets. To alleviate the impact, we propose interference-aware SAR policies as well as the interference-aware MAC scheduling protocols. The simulation results show that our schemes help reduce the impact of the inter-piconet interference by more than 15%.