Prognostic Factors of Papillary and Follicular Carcinomas in Japan Based on Data of Kuma Hospital

There are some important prognostic factors for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC). In this paper, clinicopathological features significantly affecting patient prognosis are described based on our data as well as others. Distant metastasis at diagnosis is the most important prognostic factor for both PTC and FTC. Other than that, preoperative and intraoperative findings are important to evaluate the biological behavior of PTC. Extrathyroid extension, large lymph-node metastasis, and extranodal tumor extension that can be evaluated preoperatively or intraoperatively are significant prognostic factors for PTC patients. In contrast, pathological findings are important not only for diagnosis of FTC, but also for the evaluation of its biological character. Grade of invasiveness (minimally or widely invasive) and degree of differentiation (well differentiated or including a poorly differentiated component) greatly affect the prognosis of FTC patients

Ultraviolet Radiation-Induced Impairment of Tumor Rejection Is Enhanced in Xeroderma Pigmentosum A Gene-Deficient Mice

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP)A gene-deficient mice display dermatologic abnormalities similar to human XP, such as enhanced ultraviolet (UV)-induced acute inflammation and high incidence of UVB-induced skin cancer. We have previously reported that UVB-induced immunosuppression of contact hypersensitivity was greatly enhanced in XPA mice. In the present study, we examined the effects of UVB radiation on tumor rejection in XPA mice. Tumor cells established from UVB-induced squamous cell carcinoma in XPA mice were injected subcutaneously. No difference in the development of tumors was observed between the non-irradiated XPA and wild-type mice. Tumors developed, grew in size, and reached the maximum at 7–10 d after the inoculation. Thereafter, all tumors decreased in size and were completely rejected by 4 wk in both strains of mice. When tumor cells were inoculated into the skin that had been irradiated with 50–150 mJ per cm2 of UVB, tumor grew in 60% (12 of 20) of the XPA mice, but only in 4% (one of 23) of wild-type mice. Phenotyping of tumor-infiltrating cells revealed that the migration of natural killer cells and CD8(+) T cells was inhibited in UVB-irradiated XPA mice. These data suggest that enhanced UVB-induced impairment of tumor rejection could be partially involved in the cancer development of XP patients

Statistical Verification of Anomaly in Chiral Angle Distribution of Air-Suspended Carbon Nanotubes

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) have long attracted attention due to their distinct physical properties, depending on their chiral structures (chiralities). Clarifying their growth mechanism is important toward perfect chirality-controlled bulk synthesis. Although a correlation between the chirality distribution and the carbon atom configuration at an open tube edge has been predicted theoretically, lack of sufficient statistical data on metallic and semiconducting SWCNTs prohibited its verification. Here, we report statistical verification of the chirality distribution of 413 as-grown individual air-suspended SWCNTs with a length of over 20 μm using broadband Rayleigh spectroscopy. After excluding the impact of the difference in the number of possible SWCNT structures per chiral angle interval, the abundance profile with chiral angle exhibits an increasing trend with a distinct anomaly at a chiral angle of approximately 20°. These results are well explained considering the growth rate depending on armchair-shaped site configurations at the catalyst–nanotube interface

The thyroid function of Graves' disease patients is aggravated by depressive personality during antithyroid drug treatment

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We previously reported that depressive personality (the scores of hypochondriasis, depression and psychasthenia determined by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)) and daily hassles of Graves' disease (GD) patients treated long trem with antithyroid drug (ATD) were significantly higher in a relapsed group than in a remitted group, even in the euthyroid state. The present study aims to examine the relationship among depressive personality, emotional stresses, thyroid function and the prognosis of hyperthyroidism in newly diagnosed GD patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sixty-four untreated GD patients responded to the MMPI for personality traits, the Natsume's Stress Inventory for major life events, and the Hayashi's Daily Life Stress Inventory for daily life stresses before and during ATD treatment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the untreated thyrotoxic state, depressive personality (T-scores of hypochondriasis, depression or psychasthenia greater than 60 points in MMPI) were found for 44 patients (69%). For 15 (23%) of these patients, the scores decreased to the normal range after treatment. However, depressive personality persisted after treatment in the remaining 29 patients (46%). Normal scores before treatment were found for 20 patients (31%), and the scores were persistently normal for 15 patients (23%). The remaining 5 patients (8%) had higher depressive personality after treatment. Such depressive personality was not associated with the severity of hyperthyroidism. Serum TSH receptor antibody activity at three years after treatment was significantly (p = 0.0351) greater in the depression group than in the non- depression group. The remission rate at four years after treatment was significantly (p = 0.0305) lower in the depression group than in the non- depression group (22% vs 52%).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The data indicate that in GD patients treated with ATD, depressive personality during treatment reflects the effect of emotional stress more than that of thyrotoxicosis and that it aggravates hyperthyroidism. Psychosomatic therapeutic approaches including antipsychiatric drugs and/or psychotherapy appears to be useful for improving the prognosis of hyperthyroidism.</p

Polarized Raman spectroscopy on topological semimetal Co₃Sn₂S₂

We present polarized Raman spectroscopy of the topological semimetal Co3Sn2S2, which was recently shown to host a Weyl semimetal phase. Stokes Raman spectra were obtained with the incident light parallel to the c-axis of Co3Sn2S2. Two major phonon Raman peaks were observed at 289 and 386 cm(-1) over continuous background emission signals. The intensity of the low-wavenumber (289 cm(-1)) peak showed no polarization dependence. The high-wavenumber (386 cm(-1)) peak and the continuous background signal were strongly polarized in the incident light polarization direction. These responses were almost independent of the in-plane crystal orientation to the incident polarization, as is the manifestation of the D3d$${D}_{3d}$$ point group symmetry of the unit cell of Co3Sn2S2. According to the group theory and Raman tensor analyses, the low- and high-wavenumber Raman signals are attributed to Gamma point phonon modes with Eg$${E}_g$$ and A1g$${A}_{1g}$$ symmetries, respectively. Furthermore, line shape analyses revealed that the high-wavenumber A1g$${A}_{1g}$$ mode exhibited asymmetric peak feature well described by the Breit-Wigner-Fano function. These results suggest the Fano resonance between the A1g$${A}_{1g}$$ phonon scattering with the continuous electronic background associated with low energy excitations near the Fermi energy. The clarified phonon energies and symmetries, as well as the electronic contribution to the Raman scattering, will not only be useful as a fingerprint to readily verify the experimentally grown or theoretically calculated crystal structure but also suggest importance of Raman spectroscopy as an effective tool to study low energy excitations and their interactions in Co3Sn2S2

Empirical formulation of broadband complex refractive index spectra of single-chirality carbon nanotube assembly

Assemblies of single-walled carbon nanotubes with a specific chiral structure are promising future optofunctional materials because of their strong light-matter coupling arising from sharp optical resonances of quasi-one-dimensional excitons. Their strong optical resonances, which lie in the infrared-to-visible wavelength region, can be selected by their chiralities, and this selectivity promises a wide range of applications including photonic and thermo-optic devices. However, the broadband complex optical spectra of single-chirality carbon nanotube assemblies are scarce in the literature, which has prevented researchers and engineers from designing devices using them. Here, we experimentally determine broadband complex refractive index spectra of single-chirality carbon nanotube assemblies. Free-standing carbon nanotube membranes and those placed on sapphire substrates were fabricated via filtration of the nanotube solution prepared by the separation method using gel chromatography. Transmission and reflection spectra were measured in the mid-infrared to visible wavelength region, and the complex refractive indices of nanotube assemblies were determined as a function of photon energy. The real and imaginary parts of the refractive indices of the nanotube membrane with a bulk density of 1 g cm(-3) at the first subband exciton resonance were determined to be approximately 2.7-3.6 and 1.3i-2.4i, respectively. We propose an empirical formula that phenomenologically describes the complex refractive index spectra of various single-chirality nanotube membranes, which can facilitate the design of photonic devices using carbon nanotubes as the material

CXCR4 expression in papillary thyroid carcinoma: induction by nitric oxide and correlation with lymph node metastasis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Metastasis to regional lymph nodes is a common step in the progression of cancer. Recent evidence suggests that tumor production of CXCR4 promotes lymph node metastasis. Nitric oxide (NO) may also increase metastatic ability in human cancers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Nitrite/nitrate levels and functional CXCR4 expression were assessed in K1 and B-CPAP papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) cells after induction and/or inhibition of NO synthesis. CXCR4 expression was also analyzed in primary human PTC. The relationship between nitrotyrosine levels, which are a biomarker for peroxynitrate formation from NO in vivo, CXCR4 expression, and lymph node status was also analyzed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Production of nitrite/nitrate and functional CXCR4 expression in both cell lines was increased by treatment with the NO donor DETA NONOate. The NOS inhibitor L-NAME eliminated this increase. Positive CXCR4 immunostaining was observed in 60.7% (34/56) of PTCs. CXCR4 expression was significantly correlated with nitrotyrosine levels and lymph node metastasis in human PTC.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data indicate that NO stimulates CXCR4 expression in vitro. Formation of the NO biomarker nitrotyrosine was also correlated with CXCR4 expression and lymph node metastasis in human PTC. NO may induce lymph node metastasis via CXCR4 induction in papillary thyroid carcinoma.</p

Biological Behavior of Papillary Carcinoma of the Thyroid Including Squamous Cell Carcinoma Components and Prognosis of Patients Who Underwent Locally Curative Surgery

Thyroid carcinoma showing squamous differentiation throughout the entire lesion is diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid (SCCT) in the WHO classification. This entity is a rare disease and shows a dire prognosis; however, squamous differentiation is more frequently detected in only a portion of papillary thyroid carcinoma. In this paper, we present our experience of 10 patients (8 primary lesions and 2 with recurrence in the lymph nodes) with papillary thyroid carcinoma having an SCC component (PTC-SCC). Only 3 of 8 primary lesions (38%) and none of the 2 recurrent nodes were preoperatively diagnosed as or suspected of having SCC components. All 10 patients underwent locally curative surgery. To date, 3 patients have died of carcinoma, and 2 had distant metastasis at diagnosis or had an undifferentiated carcinoma component. The other 7 are currently alive 5 to 43 months after diagnosis. Systemic adjuvant therapy after the detection of recurrence was effective for 2 patients. It is possible that some PTC-SCC patients without distant metastasis who undergo locally curative surgery can survive for a prolonged period and adjuvant therapies can be effective for local and distant recurrences