A unique case of a malignant sertoli cell tumour with cutaneous metastasis

Pure Sertoli cell tumours (SCTs) represent less than 1% of testicular neoplasms and malignant forms are rare. We present a unique case of a 69-year-old man who initially underwent inguinal orchidectomy for a malignant SCT. He then subsequently developed a paraumbilical cutaneous lesion which was histologically identical to the primary tumour. SCTs rarely metastasise. This is the first case of SCT with cutaneous metastasis described in the literature

Transformation of in-plane ρ(T)\rho (T) in YBa2Cu3O7−δYBa_{2}Cu_{3}O_{7-\delta} at fixed oxygen content

This paper reveals the origin of variation in the magnitude and temperature dependence of the normal state resistivity frequently observed in different YBCO single crystal or thin film samples with the same $T_{c}$. We investigated temperature dependence of resistivity in $YBa_{2}Cu_{3}O_{7-\delta}$ thin films with 7- $\delta = 6.95$ and 6.90, which were subjected to annealing in argon at 400-420 K ($120-140^{o}C$). Before annealing these films exhibited a non-linear $\rho_{ab}(T)$, with a flattening below 230 K, similar to $\rho_{b}(T)$ and $\rho_{ab}(T)$ observed in untwinned and twinned YBCO crystals, respectively. For all films the annealing causes an increase of resistivity and a transformation of $\rho_{ab}(T)$ from a non-linear dependence towards a more linear one (less flattening). In films with 7- $\delta = 6.90$ the increase of resistivity is also associated with an increase in $T_{c}$. We proposed the model that provides an explanation of these phenomena in terms of thermally activated redistribution of residual O(5) oxygens in the chain-layer of YBCO. Good agreement between the experimental data for $\rho_{ab}(t,T)$, where t is the annealing time, and numerical calculations was obtained.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, submitted to PR

Learning beyond the classroom: students’ attitudes towards the integration of CLIL and museum-based pedagogies

In the last two decades, several studies have reported on the benefits of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) on students’ affective and cognitive gains. These studies, however, have mainly concentrated on the implementation of CLIL within the formal (school) context, with very little research on its impact in non-formal (out-of-school) contexts. Thus, the present article addresses this gap by describing an action research project aimed at understanding secondary school students’ attitudes towards the integration of CLIL and museum-based pedagogies. The project involved 284 students (14–16 years old) in northern Italy, who participated in a CLIL museum visit on Animal Classification through English at the Natural History Museum in Venice. A mixed-method research design was implemented and data was collected through students’ questionnaires and focus groups. Results reveal that students showed very positive attitudes towards taking part in a CLIL museum visit based on the interaction among the following dimensions: engagement with museum objects, use of English beyond the classroom, methodology and students’ interests, self-concept and career plans

Mobile ad hoc network testbed using mobile robot technology

MANET (Mobile Ad Hoc Network) researchers have shown increased interest in using mobile robot technology for their testbed platforms. Thus, the main motivation of this paper is to review various robot-based MANET testbeds that have been developed in previously reported research. Additionally, suggestions to heighten mobility mechanisms by using mobile robots to be more practical, easy and inexpensive are also included in this paper, as we unveils ToMRobot, a low-cost MANET robot created from an ordinary remote control car that is capable of performing a real system MANET testbed with the addition of only a few low-cost electronic components. Despite greatly reduced costs, the ToMRobot does not sacrifice any of the necessary MANET basic structures and will still be easily customizable and upgradeable through the use of open hardware technology like Cubieboard2 and Arduino, as its robot controller. This paper will also include guidelines to enable technically limited MANET researchers to design and develop the ToMRobot. It is hoped that this paper achieves its two pronged objectives namely (i) to facilitate other MANET researchers by providing them with a source of reference that eases their decision making for selecting the best and most suitable MANET mobile robots for real mobility in their MANET testbeds (ii) to provide MANET researchers with a prospect of building their own MANET robots that can be applied in their own MANET testbed in the future

Histone Acetylation-Mediated Regulation of the Hippo Pathway

The Hippo pathway is a signaling cascade recently found to play a key role in tumorigenesis therefore understanding the mechanisms that regulate it should open new opportunities for cancer treatment. Available data indicate that this pathway is controlled by signals from cell-cell junctions however the potential role of nuclear regulation has not yet been described. Here we set out to verify this possibility and define putative mechanism(s) by which it might occur. By using a luciferase reporter of the Hippo pathway, we measured the effects of different nuclear targeting drugs and found that chromatin-modifying agents, and to a lesser extent certain DNA damaging drugs, strongly induced activity of the reporter. This effect was not mediated by upstream core components (i.e. Mst, Lats) of the Hippo pathway, but through enhanced levels of the Hippo transducer TAZ. Investigation of the underlying mechanism led to the finding that cancer cell exposure to histone deacetylase inhibitors induced secretion of growth factors and cytokines, which in turn activate Akt and inhibit the GSK3 beta associated protein degradation complex in drug-affected as well as in their neighboring cells. Consequently, expression of EMT genes, cell migration and resistance to therapy were induced. These processes were suppressed by using pyrvinium, a recently described small molecule activator of the GSK 3 beta associated degradation complex. Overall, these findings shed light on a previously unrecognized phenomenon by which certain anti-cancer agents may paradoxically promote tumor progression by facilitating stabilization of the Hippo transducer TAZ and inducing cancer cell migration and resistance to therapy. Pharmacological targeting of the GSK3 beta associated degradation complex may thus represent a unique approach to treat cancer. © 2013 Basu et al

A live weight-heart girth relationship for accurate dosing of east African shorthorn zebu cattle

The accurate estimation of livestock weights is important for many aspects of livestock management including nutrition, production and appropriate dosing of pharmaceuticals. Subtherapeutic dosing has been shown to accelerate pathogen resistance which can have subsequent widespread impacts. There are a number of published models for the prediction of live weight from morphometric measurements of cattle, but many of these models use measurements difficult to gather and include complicated age, size and gender stratification. In this paper, we use data from the Infectious Diseases of East Africa calf cohort study and additional data collected at local markets in western Kenya to develop a simple model based on heart girth circumference to predict live weight of east African shorthorn zebu (SHZ) cattle. SHZ cattle are widespread throughout eastern and southern Africa and are economically important multipurpose animals. We demonstrate model accuracy by splitting the data into training and validation subsets and comparing fitted and predicted values. The final model is weight0.262 =0.95 + 0.022 × girth which has an R2 value of 0.98 and 95 % prediction intervals that fall within the ±20 % body weight error band regarded as acceptable when dosing livestock. This model provides a highly reliable and accurate method for predicting weights of SHZ cattle using a single heart girth measurement which can be easily obtained with a tape measure in the field setting

Expanding Clinical Presentations Due to Variations in THOC2 mRNA Nuclear Export Factor

Multiple TREX mRNA export complex subunits (e.g., THOC1, THOC2, THOC5, THOC6, THOC7) have now been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), neurodegeneration and cancer. We previously implicated missense and splicing-defective THOC2 variants in NDDs and a broad range of other clinical features. Here we report 10 individuals from nine families with rare missense THOC2 variants including the first case of a recurrent variant (p.Arg77Cys), and an additional individual with an intragenic THOC2 microdeletion (Del-Ex37-38). Ex vivo missense variant testing and patient-derived cell line data from current and published studies show 9 of the 14 missense THOC2 variants result in

The p.Arg63Trp polymorphism controls Vav1 functions and Foxp3 regulatory T cell development

A single nucleotide polymorphism causing constitutive activation of Vav1 results in increased natural Treg generation and is responsible for the imbalance between Vav1 GEF and adaptor functions