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The endometrial cycle in response to hormonal stimulation is essential for implantation. The female has endometrium that repeats this cycle through about half of a lifetime. The cycle includes three phases, proliferative, secretory, and menstrual, and each phase has distinct characteristics. The endometrial stromal cells (EnSCs) in each phase also have specialized characteristics, including cell cycle, morphologies, and cellular metabolic state. So we hypothesized that the cells in each phase have unique mitochondrial morphologies because they are generally linked to cellular metabolic state. To investigate the metabolic characteristics in each phase, we investigated the mitochondrial morphologies by transmission electron microscopy, oxygen consumption rate (OCR), and intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. The decidualized EnSCs have shorter mitochondria than those in the proliferative phase. Besides, they also displayed distinct intracellular structural characteristics compared with the proliferative phase, such as ribosome-rich endoplasmic reticulum and increased formation of vesicles. OCR and luminescent ATP detection assay revealed that the basal respiration and ATP production in the decidualized EnSCs were lower than those in the proliferative phase. Thus, we concluded that morphological and intracellular structural changes were induced during the decidualization. Moreover, the decreased mitochondrial length was shown to correlate with decreased dependency on oxidative phosphorylation and ATP concentration in EnSCs.

Introduction Blastocyst (BLA) quality has been considered an important predictor of successful pregnancy. Furthermore, Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) has been used for several years with the goal of either improving pregnancy by selecting euploid embryo. As we know, the transmission of unbalanced translocations can cause infertility and miscarriage. So the aim of this study is to assess the correlation with BLA quality and PGS euploidy rate in translocation patients. We also compared the clinical outcomes between female carriers and male carriers. Materials and Methods From May 2014 to December 2017, we performed 61 PGS-IVF cycles in 34 translocation patients. BLA underwent trophectoderm (TE) biopsy on 5 day and 6 day were analyzed using array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) (BAC 1440 chip protocol, Macrogen). BLA morphology was evaluated using Gardner classification (inner cell mass and trophectoderm grades of BB or better: good quality (GQ), BC or worse: poor quality (PQ)). In all cases, BLA were vitrified and thawed for embryo transfer and the only single euploid BLA was transferred. Results Mean maternal age (35.6±3.5, female carrier group vs. 35.1±3.3, male carrier group) and paternal age (37.8±4.7, female carrier group vs. 37.4±4.0 male carrier group) showed no significant differences.61 translocation cycles were classified into 41 male carrier group and 20 female carrier group. We identified male carrier group was a high proportion of BLA (61.3%, 171/279) than female carrier group (32.8%, 58/177). In female carrier groups, from 34 BLA, 18.2% (4/22) were euploid in GQ BLA and 8.3% (1/12) were euploid in PQ BLA. In male carrier groups, from 96 BLA, 32.9% (24/73) were euploid in GQ BLA and 8.7% (2/23) were euploid in PQ BLA.After thawing, transferred single euploid BLA were presented high pregnancy (57.1%, 12/21) and live birth rates (42.9%, 9/21).Within the group of female carrier, 1 patient had a 20% (1/5) pregnancy. In male carrier groups, 11 patients had 68.8% (11/16) pregnancy. Until now, 1 baby was delivered in female carrier group (1 female baby, 3.06kg), and 8 babies were delivered in male carrier group (6 female babies and 2 male babies, 3.31±0.38kg). One case is ongoing after 12 weeks of pregnancy in male carrier group. Conclusion Euploidy and live birth rates were significantly higher for the GQ BLA as compared to PQ BLA in chromosomal translocations.Furthermore, this study shows that BLA and GQ euploidy rates were higher in the male carrier group. We also observed that pregnancy rates and live birth rates were higher in the male carrier group. Additionally, only GQ BLA were born.However, there is a limited number of live birth case in a female carrier group. Therefore, we need more studies to optimize this results.

Soymilk cake (SMC) fortified with defatted soy flour was fermented by a novel Bacillus subtilis GT-D in the solid-state fermentation with chlorella, mulberry leaves or green tea as food ingredient. The fermentation of SMC resulted in higher content of tyrosine and higher activities of protease, amylase and fibrinolytic enzymes. Fermented SMC including mucilage indicated six-fold higher content of dietary fiber compared to that of non-fermented SMC. The SMC fermented without additional ingredient allowed the highest spread ratio and width of cookies. Cookies prepared without SMC showed the lowest value of spread ratio and width compared to those of fermented SMC. In addition, these cookies showed the highest hardness value of 8,975 g, and thickness value of 5.97 and slightly higher bright color. Cookies fortified with SMC fermented with chlorella or mulberry leaves showed higher sensory evaluation value. Fortification of SMC fermented without additional ingredient resulted in the highest preference in the sensory evaluation of cookies.

A 56-year-old man who had a history of repeated previous treatment for cystitis was admitted with abdominal distension, dysuria, pollakiuria, nocturia and sensation of urine retention after emptying the bladder. A CT scan showed a 10 cm irregularly shaped soft tissue mass abutting the anterosuperior aspect of the urinary bladder with wall thickening and a soft tissue component in the caecum. Colonoscopy revealed an encircling huge fungating mass on the caecum. The tumour was removed surgically. Histological examination showed moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma extending to the caecal wall and the bladder mucosa, the origin of the mass was consistent with that of a urachal cyst. The epicentre of the tumour was located in the bladder wall, with a distinct margin as a pathological feature. The patient was diagnosed with urachal cancer and concurrent direct caecal invasion.

Gallbladder tuberculosis is an extremely rare disease that is rarely reported in the literature. Arriving at the correct diagnosis of gallbladder tuberculosis is difficult, and it is usually made by histopathologic examination after cholecystectomy. However, due to the low sensitivity of acid-fast stain and culture result, diagnosing gallbladder tuberculosis is still demanding even after tissue acquisition. To overcome this problem, tuberculosis-polymerase chain reaction (TB-PCR) is performed on the resected specimen, which has high sensitivity and specificity. A 70-year-old female who had previously undergone total gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer was admitted with right upper quadrant pain. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed acute cholecystitis without gallstones or sludge. She underwent cholecystectomy and the histopathologic finding of the specimen showed chronic active cholecystitis without gallstones or sludge. Because she was suspected to have pulmonary tuberculosis, TB-PCR was also performed on the resected gallbladder. TB-PCR showed positive reaction for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and we could diagnose it as gallbladder tuberculosis. Herein, we present a case of gallbladder tuberculosis diagnosed by TB-PCR from resected gallbladder.

Objective: Pre-operative endoscopic clipping for determining the resection line in patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) has been used safely, and its efficacy has been demonstrated. However, the optimal timing of endoscopic clipping for determining the resection line in EGC patients undergoing laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) has not been investigated. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 92 patients with EGC who underwent gastric resection after endoscopic clipping at OOO Hospital, Korea was performed. We analyzed the clinical and endoscopic features of patients, number of clips, time from clipping to surgery, and number of patients showing detachment of clips from the gastric wall before surgery. Patients were categorized into the following 2 groups: group A included patients whose clips were applied within 1 day before surgery and group B included patients whose clips were applied more than 1 day before surgery. Results: Of the 92 patients, 56 were in group A and 36 were in group B. In 11 patients (12.0%, 5 in group A and 6 in group B, P=0.329), the clips were detached from the gastric wall before surgery. The mean time from clipping to surgery did not differ significantly between the detached and non-detached groups (11 patients, mean 4.6 ± 4.6 days vs. 81 patients, mean 3.0 ± 4.0 days, P = 0.227). Conclusion: The timing of endoscopic clipping for the localization of tumors in EGC patients undergoing gastrectomy is not important for determining the resection line.

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma is a rare and aggressive variant of squamous cell carcinoma, which mostly occurs in the upper aerodigestive tracts. Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma also typically arises in the anal canal, but is extremely rare in the lower gastrointestinal tract. A 70-year-old man presented with loose stool and intermittent hematochezia 2 months ago. Colonoscopy showed an ulceroinfiltrative mass on the rectosigmoid colon from 16 cm to 18 cm above the anal verge. Conventional colonoscope could not pass through the lesion but it was possible with pediatric colonoscope. Abdominal CT scan showed 1.6 cm sized wall thickening with circumferential luminal narrowing in the rectosigmoid colon and multiple ill-defined low density masses in both lobes of the liver. Therefore, colon cancer with liver metastasis was suspected. However, basaloid cells were noted on histologic examination, and they were weakly positive for synaptophysin on immunohistochemical study. After palliative lower anterior resection, histologic examination of the resected specimen revealed basaloid differentiation with keratin pearls, and tumor cells were positively stained with high molecular weighted cytokeratin (34BE12) and CK 5/6. Thus, the patient was finally diagnosed with basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of rectosigmoid colon with distant metastases.