Metastasis to the breast from colonic adenocarcinoma

A 63-year-old woman was referred to a breast surgeon with a breast mass discovered incidentally during follow-up study after colon cancer surgery. Invasive adenocarcinoma was revealed on core needle biopsy. Wide excision of the breast including the tumor was performed. On standard histological examination the tumor showed features of moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. The immunohistochemistry study revealed positive results for cytokeratin (CK)20 and CDX2, but negative for CK7. These are typical characteristics for colon cancer. Considering her history of subtotal colectomy for sigmoid colon cancer, it is presumable that the mass in the breast was of colonic origin, and it was an extremely rare case of metastasis to the breast from primary colorectal neoplasm. Although the instance is rare, clinicians should keep the possibility of breast metastasis from colorectal cancer in mind for early and correct diagnosis

Early gastric cancer arising from heterotopic gastric mucosa in the gastric submucosa

The incidence of heterotopic gastric mucosa located in the submucosa in resected stomach specimens has been reported to be 3.0 to 20.1%. Heterotopic gastric mucosa is thought to be a benign disease, which rarely becomes malignant. Heterotopic gastric mucosa exists in the gastric submucosa, and gastric cancer rarely occurs in heterotopic gastric mucosa. Since tumors are located in the normal submucosa, they appear as submucosal tumors during endoscopy, and are diagnosed through endoscopic biopsies with some difficulty. For such reasons, heterotopic gastric mucosa is mistaken as gastric submucosal tumor. Recently, two cases of early gastric cancer arising from heterotopic gastric mucosa in the gastric submucosa were treated. Both cases were diagnosed as submucosal tumors based on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, and computed tomography findings, and in both cases, laparoscopic wedge resections were performed, the surgical findings of which also suggested submucosal tumors. However, pathologic assessment of the surgical specimens led to the diagnosis of well-differentiated intramucosal adenocarcinoma arising from heterotopic gastric mucosa in the gastric submucosa

Identification of a novel antiapoptotic protein that antagonizes ASK1 and CAD activities

Diverse stimuli initiate the activation of apoptotic signaling pathways that often causes nuclear DNA fragmentation. Here, we report a new antiapoptotic protein, a caspase-activated DNase (CAD) inhibitor that interacts with ASK1 (CIIA). CIIA, by binding to apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1), inhibits oligomerization-induced ASK1 activation. CIIA also associates with CAD and inhibits the nuclease activity of CAD without affecting caspase-3–mediated ICAD cleavage. Overexpressed CIIA reduces H2O2- and tumor necrosis factor-α–induced apoptosis. CIIA antisense oligonucleotides, which abolish expression of endogenous CIIA in murine L929 cells, block the inhibitory effect of CIIA on ASK1 activation, deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation, and apoptosis. These findings suggest that CIIA is an endogenous antagonist of both ASK1- and CAD-mediated signaling

Surgical Treatment for Occlusion of Graft Arteriovenous Fistula in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis

Background: Maintenance of adequate vascular access for hemodialysis is important in patients with end-stage renal disease. Once arteriovenous fistula (AVF) occlusion occurs, the patient should be treated with rescue therapy. This study was performed to evaluate the results of a rescue therapy for AVF occlusion. Methods: From January 2008 to December 2012, 47 patients who underwent surgical rescue therapy for AVF occlusion after graft AVF formation, were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into two groups, namely the graft repair group (group A, n=19) and the thrombectomy group (group B, n=28). Postoperative results of both groups were analyzed retrospectively. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the clinical characteristics between the two groups. In terms of the duration of AVF patency after the first rescue therapy, group A showed a longer AVF patency duration than group B (24.5±21.9 months versus 17.7±13.6 months), but there was no statistically significant difference (p=0.310). In terms of the annual frequency of AVF occlusion after the rescue therapy of group A was lower than that of group B (0.59 versus 0.71), but there was no statistically significant difference (p=0.540). The AVF patency rates at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years after the first rescue therapy in group A were 52.6%, 31.5%, 21.0%, and 15.7%, respectively, and those in group B, they were 32.1%, 25.0%, 17.8%, and 7.14%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference (p=0.402). Conclusion: Graft repair revealed comparable results. Although there was no statistically significant difference, the patent duration and annual frequency of AVF occlusion of group A were better than those of group B. Therefore, graft repair is considered as a safe and useful procedure for maintaining graft AVF

The complete chloroplast genome of Aconitum puchonroenicum Uyeki & Sakata (Ranunculaceae), a rare endemic species in Korea

The chloroplast genome sequence of Aconitum puchonroenicum Uyeki & Sakata, a rare endemic species in Korea, was characterized through de novo assembly with next-generation sequencing data. The chloroplast genome is 155,631 bp in length and contains 4 rRNA genes, 29 tRNA genes, and 78 protein-coding genes. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated a close relationship of A. pseudolaeve with other species belonging to Aconitum subgn. Lycoctonum in Ranunculaceae

Anomalous effect due to oxygen vacancy accumulation below the electrode in bipolar RS Pt/Nb:STO cells

In conventional semiconductor theory, greater doping decreases the electronic resistance of a semiconductor. For the bipolar resistance switching (BRS) phenomena in oxides, the same doping principle has been used commonly to explain the relationship between the density variation of oxygen vacancies (Vo¨) and the electronic resistance. We find that the Vo¨ density can change at a depth of ∼10 nm below the Pt electrodes in Pt/Nb:SrTiO3 cells, depending on the resistance state. Using electron energy loss spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry, we found that greater Vo¨ density underneath the electrode resulted in higher resistance, contrary to the conventional doping principle of semiconductors. To explain this seemingly anomalous experimental behavior, we provide quantitative explanations on the anomalous BRS behavior by simulating the mobile Vo¨ [J. S. Lee et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 102, 253503 (2013)] near the Schottky barrier interface.117191sciescopu

Aqueous dispersions of thienoisoindigo-based semiconductor nanorods assembled with 2-bromobenzaldehyde and a phospholipid

Nanoassemblies of an organic semiconductor based on thienoisoindigo were prepared by forming nanomorphologies in phase-separated films of a thienoisoindigo-based molecule (TIIG-Bz), bromobenzaldehydes (BBAs), and a phospholipid, 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (D8PC), and then shattering the films via penetration of water into polar domains. It was suggested that 2-BBA associated with TIIG-Bz via intermolecular halogen and chalcogen bonding between the electron-deficient ??-holes of bromine in 2-BBA and sulfur in TIIG-Bz, and their electron-rich counterparts, carbonyl oxygen, in TIIG-Bz and 2-BBA, filling empty space in the conjugated planes. This resulted in the ??-?? stacking of conjugated planes overwhelming the lateral packing of alkyl chains as the ratios of 2-BBA and the lipid to TIIG-Bz increased and decreased, respectively, as proven by bathochromic shifts in the absorption spectra and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction patterns. It was concluded that, by varying the 2-BBA and D8PC compositions, the water-dispersed nanomorphologies of the organic semiconductor can be controlled via the competition of hydrophobic interactions between alkyl chains for lateral association for zero-dimensional growth and intermolecular ??-?? interactions for one-dimensional growth