Primary Mucinous Adenocarcinoma of the Testis

Ovarian-type surface epithelial neoplasms of the testis and paratestis are uncommon, and the mucinous subtype is particularly rare. These tumors represent a counterpart to ovarian cancer. Malignant tumors have the potential for metastatic spread and are often fatal. The case of a 59-year-old man with testicular mucinous adenocarcinoma is presented. Computed tomography indicated involvement of the paraaortic and pelvic lymph nodes, so chemotherapy was initiated. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second paper regarding responsiveness to chemotherapies used in ovarian cancer

Cardiac and skeletal muscle abnormality in taurine transporter-knockout mice

Taurine, a sulfur-containing β-amino acid, is highly contained in heart and skeletal muscle. Taurine has a variety of biological actions, such as ion movement, calcium handling and cytoprotection in the cardiac and skeletal muscles. Meanwhile, taurine deficiency leads various pathologies, including dilated cardiomyopathy, in cat and fox. However, the essential role of taurine depletion on pathogenesis has not been fully clarified. To address the physiological role of taurine in mammalian tissues, taurine transporter-(TauT-) knockout models were recently generated. TauTKO mice exhibited loss of body weight, abnormal cardiac function and the reduced exercise capacity with tissue taurine depletion. In this chapter, we summarize pathological profile and histological feature of heart and skeletal muscle in TauTKO mice

Association of paraoxonase 1 gene polymorphism with Intima-Media Thickness (IMT) of the carotid arteries in japanese type 2 diabetic patients

Purpose: We investigated the association between paraoxonase 1 (PON1)-192 genotypes and intimamedia thickness (IMT) of carotid arteries in diabetic patients. Methods: One hundred and fifty-five Japanese type 2 diabetic patients aged from 40 to 79 years were enrolled in this study. Genotypes of the patients were determined using the PCR-RFLP method. The IMT of carotid arteries of the subjects was measured by ultrasound imaging. Results: The PON1 genotypes frequencies were as follows: 18QQ (0.116), 70QR (0.452) and 67RR (0.432). IMT values of the RR group were significantly greater (1.08±0.41 mm, n=67) than those of the Q group, which consisted of patients carrying one or two Q alleles (0.95±0.27 mm, n=88, P=0.023). There were no significant difference in the clinical characteristics between the two groups. Conclusion: The results indicate that the PON1-192RR genotype is associated with intima media thickening of the carotid arteries in diabetic patients

Pixel-wise segmentation of severely pathologic retinal pigment epithelium and choroidal stroma using multi-contrast Jones matrix optical coherence tomography

Tissue segmentation of retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) is widely used in ophthalmic diagnosis. However, its performance in severe pathologic cases is still insufficient. We propose a pixel-wise segmentation method that uses the multi-contrast measurement capability of Jones matrix OCT (JM-OCT). This method is applicable to both normal and pathologic retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroidal stroma. In this method, “features,” which are sensitive to specific tissues of interest, are synthesized by combining the multi-contrast images of JM-OCT, including attenuation coefficient, degree-of-polarization-uniformity, and OCT angiography. The tissue segmentation is done by simple thresholding of the feature. Compared with conventional segmentation methods for pathologic maculae, the proposed method is less computationally intensive. The segmentation method was validated by applying it to images from normal and severely pathologic cases. The segmentation results enabled the development of several types of en face visualizations, including melano-layer thickness maps, RPE elevation maps, choroidal thickness maps, and choroidal stromal attenuation coefficient maps. These facilitate close examination of macular pathology. The melano-layer thickness map is very similar to a near infrared fundus autofluorescence image, so the map can be used to identify the source of a hyper-autofluorescent signal

Etude système de diodes lasers à verrouillage de modes pour la radio-sur-fibre en bande millimétrique

Ce travail de thèse s inscrit dans la recherche des solutions économiquementviables pour des réseaux personnels à hauts débits (plusieurs Gbps à plusieursdizaines de Gbps) opérationnels en bande millimétrique autour de 60 GHz. Aucas où ces réseaux servent un nombre élevé d utilisateurs, ils comprendront unemultitude d antennes afin d assurer l accès sans fil rapide. Afin de réduire aumaximum le coût d un module d antenne, les réseaux doivent fournir un signalanalogue à des porteuses millimetriques. Une solution prometteuse pour les systèmesde distribution qui correspond à ces besoins sont des structures à fibreoptique, laquelle permet une transmission à faibles pertes et à haute bande passante.On parle de l approche "radio-sur-fibre" (en anglais, radio-over-fiber). Laproblématique est de pouvoir générer et moduler un signal aux fréquences millimétriqueslors de la transmission optique - et ce avec des composant bas coûts.La technique utilisée dans le cadre de cette thèse est l emploi des diodes laser àverrouillage de modes. Ces derniers vont pouvoir générer des hautes fréquencestout en ne nécessitant qu une alimentation continue, et ils peuvent être modulésde manière directe ou externe. Les lasers à semi-conducteurs employés ici sontd une génération encore à l état d étude puisqu il s agit des lasers à boites (ouîlots) quantiques. Ces lasers ont montrés de très bonnes capacités à générer dessignaux électriques aux fréquences autour de 60 GHz, bien qu ayant encore, pourl instant, à une stabilité de fréquence (ou de phase) limitée. Dans le cadre des systèmesde communication opto/micro-ondes, peu de travaux approfondis ont étémenés sur ces structures.Au cours de cette thèse, plusieurs études ont été effectuées. La première portesur les propriétés générales d un système construit à partir de ce type de laser(puissances disponibles, figure de bruit, linéarité etc.). Une deuxième étude aété consacrée aux effets de la propagation des signaux dans les systèmes baséssur les lasers à verrouillage de modes, notamment de la dispersion chromatiquelaquelle a un effet considérable sur les distances de transmission. Les deux étudesmettent en avant l importance d une limitation du nombre de modes générés parla diode laser afin d optimiser non seulement le gain du lien et la puissance RFrécupérée, mais aussi la figure de bruit du système. Lors d une troisième étude, lastabilité en fréquence/phase s est révélée critique, car le bruit de fréquence/phaselimite la qualité de la transmission en introduisant un plancher d erreur mêmepour des rapports signal-a-bruit très élevés. Des différentes générations de lasersà boites (îlots) quantiques et à verrouillage de modes ont été testées. Le problèmedu bruit de fréquence et de phase persiste et ne peut pas être résolu en utilisantles techniques classiques comme les boucles à verrouillage de phase conventionnelles.Une solution pour ce problème a été développée pour les systèmes detransmission; elle permet simultanément un ajustement de fréquence supérieure(précision de quelques Hz à quelques kHz) à celle donnée par le processus de fabricationdes diodes lasers (précision de quelques GHz), ainsi qu une stabilisationde fréquence et de phase.This dissertation is related to the search for an economically sustainable solutionfor high data rate (several Gbps to several tens of Gbps) personal area networksoperating in the millimeter-wave region around 60 GHz. If such networks supplya large number of users, they need to encompass a multitude of antenna pointsin order to assure wireless access to the network. With the aim of reducing thecost of an antenna module, the networks should at best provide quasi "readyto-radiate" signals to the modules, i.e. at millimeter-wave carrier frequencies.Thanks to their low transmission loss and their high bandwidth, optical fiber distributionarchitectures represent a promising solution. The technique is referredto as the so-called "radio-over-fiber" approach whereby the analog radio signalwill be transported to the access point by an optical wave. The challenge herebyis the generation and modulation of an optical signal by a millimeter-wave radiosignal using preferably cost-efficient system components. The technique proposedherein is based on the use of mode-locked laser diodes which can generatesignals at very high frequencies under the condition of continuous current supply.Mode-locked laser diodes can be modulated both directly and externally. Thediodes employed in this work are based on so-called quantum dots (or quantumdashes); these are material structures which are themselves still subject to intensivephysical research. Signals at millimeter-wave frequencies (around 60 GHz)can easily be generated by such lasers. However, their frequency and phase stabilityis as yet limited. In the context of radio-over-fiber communication systems,these structures have not yet been studied in detail.In the course of this dissertation, several aspects are considered. A first systemstudy treats the basic properties of a system built from this type of laser source(available signal power, system noise figure, linearity etc.). A second study isdevoted to an investigation of propagation effects like dispersion, which considerablyinfluence the attainable transmission distances. An essential result of bothstudies is the importance of limiting the laser spectrum to a small number of lasermodes for an optimization of link gain, generated RF power, and system noisefigure. A third study deals with the limited frequency and phase stability whichturn out to be critical factors for transmission quality. The study of several generationsof quantum dot/dash lasers has revealed that the problems of frequencyand phase noise persist and cannot be solved using classical techniques involvinge.g. conventional phase-locked loops. In this dissertation, a solution is presentedwhich not only allows a more precise adjustment of the laser frequency (precisionin the order of Hz to kHz) than that given by the manufacturing process of thelaser (precision in the order of GHz), but also enables a stabilization of frequencyand phase.SAVOIE-SCD - Bib.électronique (730659901) / SudocGRENOBLE1/INP-Bib.électronique (384210012) / SudocGRENOBLE2/3-Bib.électronique (384219901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Aquaporin 1 water channel is overexpressed in the plasma membranes of pancreatic ducts in patients with autoimmune pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis with all kinds of etiologies is characterized by pancreatic exocrine dysfunction especially impaired fluid secretion from pancreatic ducts. However, the molecular mechanism of this impaired fluid secretion in chronic pancreatitis is largely unknown. Aquaporin water channels are intrinsic membrane proteins expressed most of the cell types which have high osmotic water permeability. Among them aquaporin 1 (AQP1) is a predominant water channel expressed in the plasma membranes of human pancreatic ducts. Exocrine function test revealed that fluid secretion was severely impaired in AIP. immunohistochemical analysis revealed that AQP1 is localized mainly in the apical and lateral membranes of small pancreatic ducts in control subjects. AQP1 expression was significantly increased in plasma membranes of pancreatic ducts in AIP. Upregulation of AQP1 expression seen in pancreatic ducts of patient with AIP may be caused by the reduced fluid secretion from the pancreas as compensation. Further study would be required to elucidate the precise molecular mechanism for the role of AQP1 in pancreatic fluid secretion from the pancreas in diseases characterized by the impaired ductal fluid secretion such as cystic fibrosis

Sequence Heterogeneity in NS5A of Hepatitis C Virus Genotypes 2a and 2b and Clinical Outcome of Pegylated-Interferon/Ribavirin Therapy

Pegylated-interferon plus ribavirin (PEG-IFN/RBV) therapy is a current standard treatment for chronic hepatitis C. We previously reported that the viral sequence heterogeneity of part of NS5A, referred to as the IFN/RBV resistance-determining region (IRRDR), and a mutation at position 70 of the core protein of hepatitis C virus genotype 1b (HCV-1b) are significantly correlated with the outcome of PEG-IFN/RBV treatment. Here, we aimed to investigate the impact of viral genetic variations within the NS5A and core regions of other genotypes, HCV-2a and HCV-2b, on PEG-IFN/RBV treatment outcome. Pretreatment sequences of NS5A and core regions were analyzed in 112 patients infected with HCV-2a or HCV-2b, who were treated with PEG-IFN/RBV for 24 weeks and followed up for another 24 weeks. The results demonstrated that HCV-2a isolates with 4 or more mutations in IRRDR (IRRDR[2a]≥4) was significantly associated with rapid virological response at week 4 (RVR) and sustained virological response (SVR). Also, another region of NS5A that corresponds to part of the IFN sensitivity-determining region (ISDR) plus its carboxy-flanking region, which we referred to as ISDR/+C[2a], was significantly associated with SVR in patients infected with HCV-2a. Multivariate analysis revealed that IRRDR[2a]≥4 was the only independent predictive factor for SVR. As for HCV-2b infection, an N-terminal half of IRRDR having two or more mutations (IRRDR[2b]/N≥2) was significantly associated with RVR, but not with SVR. No significant correlation was observed between core protein polymorphism and PEG-IFN/RBV treatment outcome in HCV-2a or HCV-2b infection. Conclusion: The present results suggest that sequence heterogeneity of NS5A of HCV-2a (IRRDR[2a]≥4 and ISDR/+C[2a]), and that of HCV-2b (IRRDR[2b]/N≥2) to a lesser extent, is involved in determining the viral sensitivity to PEG-IFN/RBV therapy