Enhancement of experimental metastasis by gamma-interferon in a murine adenocarcinoma.

This study was conducted to examine the effect of gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma) on experimental metastasis formation by murine colon 26 adenocarcinoma in BALB/c mice. We found that the number of experimental lung metastases was increased after colon 26 cells were pretreated for 1 h with as little as 1 OIU/ml of IFN-gamma. 5-[125I] iodo-2'-deoxyuridine-radiolabeled colon 26 cells pretreated with IFN-gamma remained at higher level in the lung at 24h after intravenous injection than when the cells were not pretreated. In vivo elimination of asialo GM1-positive cells increased the number of lung metastases and, in such mice, there was no longer a difference in metastatic ability between control and IFN-gamma-treated cells. Colon 26 cells were completely resistant to lysis by isolated splenocytes. Splenocytes incubated in vitro with interleukin 2 exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against colon 26 cells, but there were no significant differences between control and IFN-gamma-treated cells. Colon 26 cells pretreated with IFN-gamma demonstrated resistance to tumor necrosis factor alpha-mediated growth inhibition. The enhancement of metastases by IFN-gamma was dependent on de novo protein synthesis since the enhancement was abolished by cycloheximide. Taken together, the data suggest that the metastatic ability of colon 26 cells pretreated with IFN-gamma is significantly higher due to the resistance to asialo GM1-positive cells accompanied with de novo protein synthesis.</p

Coexistence of Continuous Variable Quantum Key Distribution and 7 ×\times 12.5 Gbit/s Classical Channels

We study coexistence of CV-QKD and 7 classical 12.5 Gbit/s on-off keying channels in WDM transmission over the C-band. We demonstrate key generation with a distilled secret key rate between 20 to 50 kbit/s in experiments running continuously over 24 hours.Comment: 2018 IEEE Summer Topicals, paper MD4.

Signal transduction mechanism of interleukin 6 in cultured rat mesangial cells

AbstractInterleukin 6 (IL-6) is one of the potent autocrine growth factors for mesangial cells. We investigated the signal transduction mechanism or IL-6 in cultured rat mesangial cells. IL-6 induced a transient increase of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins 1,4,5-P3) followed by a transient and sustained increase of intracellular calcium concentration, suggesting that IL-6 stimulates phosphoinositide turnover. IL-6 also stimulated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production. The IL-6-concentration dependency in PGE2 production was similar to that in Ins 1,4,5-P3 production. We concluded that the action of IL-6 on mesangial cells is exerted at least partially through the enhancement of phosphoinositide turnover and PGE2 production

Reverification of the functions of casework at child guidance centers through the examinations of official reports on deaths by child abuse

本研究は、国及び地方公共団体の検証結果の分析等を通じて、児童相談所のケースワーク機能に関する質的な検証の必要性について検討することを目的とする。国の検証結果に関する分析については、厚生労働省社会保障審議会児童部会・児童虐待等要保護事例の検証に関する専門委員会「子ども虐待による死亡事例等の検証報告書」（第1次報告から第12次報告）を、地方公共団体の検証結果に関する分析については「児童虐待による死亡事例等重大事例についての検証報告書」（平成20年度から平成28年度）を分析対象とした。その結果、児童相談所のケースワーク機能に関する調査項目は十分ではなく、「家族全体を捉えた援助指針及び援助計画の設定」や「定期的なアセスメントの実施と再アセスメントによる援助指針」など質的検証を深める必要性が示唆された。また、検証の視点としては、「援助の実行過程の的確性」についての検証が大きな論点になることが明らかにされた。The purpose of this study is to examine the necessity of the qualitative verification of the functions of casework at child guidance centers through the analyses of inspection results provided by the national and local governments. The objects of analyses of the national government inspection results were the first to the twelfth reports of Inspection Report on the Deaths by Child Abuse issued from the Special Committee on Child Abuse and Protection Cases in Social Security Council of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. As for the local governments, the objects of analyses were their Inspection Reports on Serious Cases including Deaths by Child Abuse issued from fiscal 2008 to 2016 years. As the result of the examination, it has been suggested that survey items enquiring the functions of casework in child guidance centers are insufficient and therefore the qualitative verification needs to be reinforced with perspectives such as “the establishment of aid guidelines and plans for the whole family” and “the execution of regular assessment and provision of aid guidelines based on reassessment” included. It has also become evident that as a verification aspect the verification of the “accuracy of the process of aid implementation” can be a point at issue

Retrospective Comparison of Non-Skin-Sparing Mastectomy and Skin-Sparing Mastectomy with Immediate Breast Reconstruction

Background. We compared Skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) with immediate breast reconstruction and Non-skin-sparing mastectomy (NSSM), various types of incision in SSM. Method. Records of 202 consecutive breast cancer patients were reviewed retrospectively. Also in the SSM, three types of skin incision were used. Type A was a periareolar incision with a lateral extension, type B was a periareolar incision and axillary incision, and type C included straight incisions, a small elliptical incision (base line of nipple) within areolar complex and axillary incision. Results. Seventy-three SSMs and 129 NSSMs were performed. The mean follow-up was 30.0 (SSM) and 41.1 (NSSM) months. Respective values for the two groups were: mean age 47.0 and 57; seven-year cumulative local disease-free survival 92.1% and 95.2%; post operative skin necrosis 4.1% and 3.1%. In the SSM, average areolar diameter in type A & B was 35.4 mm, 43.0 mm in type C and postoperative nipple-areolar plasty was performed 61% in type A & B, 17% in type C, respectively. Conclusion. SSM for early breast cancer is associated with low morbidity and oncological safety that are as good as those of NSSM. Also in SSM, Type C is far superior as regards cost and cosmetic outcomes

PIM kinases facilitate lentiviral evasion from SAMHD1 restriction via Vpx phosphorylation

Lentiviruses have evolved to acquire an auxiliary protein Vpx to counteract the intrinsic host restriction factor SAMHD1. Although Vpx is phosphorylated, it remains unclear whether such phosphorylation indeed regulates its activity toward SAMHD1. Here we identify the PIM family of serine/threonine protein kinases as the factors responsible for the phosphorylation of Vpx and the promotion of Vpx-mediated SAMHD1 counteraction. Integrated proteomics and subsequent functional analysis reveal that PIM family kinases, PIM1 and PIM3, phosphorylate HIV-2 Vpx at Ser13 and stabilize the interaction of Vpx with SAMHD1 thereby promoting ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis of SAMHD1. Inhibition of the PIM kinases promotes the antiviral activity of SAMHD1, ultimately reducing viral replication. Our results highlight a new mode of virus–host cell interaction in which host PIM kinases facilitate promotion of viral infectivity by counteracting the host antiviral system, and suggest a novel therapeutic strategy involving restoration of SAMHD1-mediated antiviral response

Initial experience with contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in follow up assessment of small breast cancer treated by cryoablation

BackgroundCryoablation (CA) is a nonsurgical focal therapy for small tumours. To detect residual or relapsed tumour after CA of renal cancer, contrast-enhanced imaging is generally used to identify tumour blood flow, but no definitive criteria are established for such follow-up after CA of breast cancer.AimsThe aim of this study was to compare the usefulness of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for assessing residual tumours and local relapse following CA of small breast cancers.Methods We enrolled 4 patients treated by CA at our institution between January 2015 and December 2016 for luminal A breast cancer with maximum tumour size of 1.5cm and neither distant metastasis nor metastatic findings in sentinel lymph node biopsy, who underwent CEUS and MR imaging before CA. In addition to our standard postoperative follow-up for breast cancer, these patients underwent CEUS every 3 months and MR imaging every 6 months after CA.Results Six months after CA, no patient showed enhancement at the lesion site on MR imaging, but there were two with continued enhancement on CEUS. They underwent vacuum-assisted breast biopsy under US guidance followed by histopathological examination of tissue that identified no malignancy.ConclusionOur findings of focal enhancement within ablated breast tissue in CEUS after CA is likely attributable to the much higher sensitivity of CEUS to that of other modalities to even slight vascularization. Further investigation in more patients is needed to clarify the utility of CEUS to detect residual or relapsed tumour after CA of small breast cancer