Icosahedral quasicrystals in Zn-T-Sc (T=Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) alloys

Starting from the Zn17Sc3 cubic approximant, new quasicrystal alloys were searched by replacement of Zn with transition elements, T. In the cases of T=Mn, Fe, Co and Ni, new icosahedral quasicrystals are formed in as-cast alloys as major phases at the alloy compositions of Zn75T10Sc15. All these quasicrystals belong to a primitive type, and have 6-dimensional lattice parameters, a6D, ranging from 7.044 to 7.107 A. They have the valence electron concentrations, e/a, ranging from 2.01 to 2.14, and almost the same ratios between the edge-length of the Penrose tile, aR, and the averaged atomic diameter d: aR/d~1.75. Moreover other Zn- and Cd-based quasicrystals including the same type of atomic cluster, Tsai-type cluster, also have the same values of e/a~2.1 and aR/d~1.75. The equality in e/a indicates that the Hume-Rothery mechanism plays an important role for the formation of these quasicrystals.Comment: 9 pages, 2 tables, 3 figure

Sex-inducing effects toward planarians widely present among parasitic flatworms

Summary Various parasitic flatworms infect vertebrates for sexual reproduction, often causing devastating diseases in their hosts. Consequently, flatworms are of great socioeconomic and biomedical importance. Although the cessation of parasitic flatworm sexual reproduction is a major target of anti-parasitic drug design, little is known regarding bioactive compounds controlling flatworm sexual maturation. Using the planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis, we observed that sex-inducing substances found in planarians are also widespread in parasitic flatworms, such as monogeneans and flukes (but not in tapeworms). Reverse-phase HPLC analysis revealed the sex-inducing substance(s) eluting around the tryptophan retention time in the fluke Calicophoron calicophorum, consistent with previous studies on the planarian Bipalium nobile, suggesting that the substance(s) is likely conserved among flatworms. Moreover, six of the 18 ovary-inducing substances identified via transcriptome and metabolome analyses are involved in purine metabolism. Our findings provide a basis for understanding and modifying the life cycles of various parasitic flatworms.journal articl

A Case of Pulmonary Benign Metastasizing Leiomyoma Occurring after Uterine Myomectomy

Benign metastasizing leiomyoma (BML) is a very rare disease, and although it was reported as early as1939 to result from metastasis of benign uterine myoma to the lungs and lymph nodes, its pathology remainsobscure. Here, we describe a case of pulmonary BML occurring after uterine myomectomy in a42-year-old woman. She presented with a 2-week history of dry cough on exertion. Chest radiography andcomputed tomography( CT) revealed bilateral multiple nodular lesions. The patient had a history of uterinemyoma and previously underwent myomectomy. For definitive diagnosis, lung biopsy was performed byvideo associated thoracoscopic surgery. Histopathologic examination of biopsy specimens revealed pulmonaryBML occurring after uterine myomectomy. For treatment of the pulmonary BML, gonadotropin-releasinghormone was initially administered, and 1 month later the patient underwent complete hysterectomyand bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Chest CT 6 months after surgery showed that the size and number oflung multiple nodular lesions did not increase compared with those before surgery. In future studies, we aimto investigate a larger number of pulmonary BML cases, as well as establish specific treatments and investigatethe prognosis of the disease.Abbreviations:BML:benign metastasizing leiomyomaSS:Sjögren\u27s syndromeCT:computed tomographyH&E:hematoxylin and eosinVATS:video associated thoracoscopic surgeryCA:carbohydrate antigenIg:immunoguloblina SMA:a smooth muscle acti

A Case of Inflammatory Lung Disease and Retroperitoneal Fibrosis Attributed to Systemic IgG4-related Disease

Recently, immunoglobulin (Ig) G4-related diseases such as autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), sclerosingsialadenitis, retroperitoneal fibrosis, and sclerosing cholangitis have been reported. IgG4-related diseases arecharacterized by high serum IgG4 concentrations, sclerosing inflammation with numerous IgG4-positiveplasma cells, and steroid sensitivity, irrespective of their organ of origin. We describe a case of inflammatorylung disease and retroperitoneal fibrosis, suggested to involve IgG4. The patient was a 76-year-old man. Acomputed tomographic scan of the chest showed nodular air-space consolidation in the left upper lobe. Theserum IgG4 concentration was abnormally elevated, but there was no evidence of AIP. Bilateral hydronephrosisassociated with thickened soft tissue around the abdominal aorta had been diagnosed previously. Hehad undergone surgery, and retroperitoneal fibrosis was diagnosed histologically (hematoxylin and eosinstain). Histological examination of bronchoscopic specimens taken from the left S3 region showed mononuclear-cell infiltration of the fibrotic bronchial wall, including many IgG4-positive plasma cells. Specimens ofthe region affected by retroperitoneal fibrosis were retrospectively reanalyzed, and the cells were positivefor IgG4 on immunostaining, similar to the lung tissue. The patient responded to treatment with corticosteroids.In conclusion, the present case shared many clinical and clinicopathological similarities with systemicIgG4-related autoimmune disease. To our knowledge, however, this is the first reported case of inflammatorylung disease with retroperitoneal fibrosis in a patient with systemic IgG4-related autoimmune disease

ドッキョウ イカ ダイガク ビョウイン コキュウキ・アレルギー ナイカ ニオケル HIVカンセン カンジャ ノ カイセキ : トクニ ニューモシスチス ハイエン ノ ガッペイ レイ ニ ツイテ

獨協医科大学病院呼吸器・アレルギー内科を受診したHIV感染者を解析し,わが国および栃木県のHIV 感染者との比較検討を行った.対象は,2002年7月より2009年6月までの間,当科に受診歴のある34名(男27名,女7名,日本人29名,外国人5名),平均年齢は44.2歳(29歳〜67歳).男性の感染理由は,異性間(風俗,不特定)40.7%,同性間37.0%,女性はパートナーからの感染が57.1 %であった.64.7%がAIDS 発症によりHIV感染が判明し,HIV感染判明時の精査では79.4%がAIDSを発症しており,全症例の55.9%にニューモシスチス肺炎の合併を認めた.治療開始が推奨されているCD4陽性細胞低値(350/m l以下)は,97.1%の症例に認めた.以上の結果より,感染理由や年齢層については,全国の平均と同様な傾向を認めた.全国的には,HIV感染判明者の約7割がAIDS 発病前のキャリアの状態でHIV 感染が判明し,栃木県でも同様の傾向である.しかし,当科では大多数がAIDS 発症後およびAIDS 発症直前の低免疫状態でHIV 感染が判明しており,早期発見および早期介入が課題と考えられた.To be clear the clinical characteristics in Tochigi, we analyzedpatients with HIV infection in our department. Patientswith HIV infection between July 2002 and June 2009were 34 subjects (Man:Woman=27:7, Japanese:Foreigner=29:5), and mean age was 44.2 years old. In reasonof HIV infection for men, men who were infected by sexualintercourse with indefinite women were 40.7 % and menwho were infected by sexual intercourse with men were37.0 %. Women who were infected by their partners were57.1 %. 64.7 % of patients were recognized HIV infection byshowing AIDS. 79.4% of patients already had complicationsindicating AIDS, when they came to our hospital, and 55.9% of patients had pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia. In 97.1% of patients, the number of CD4 positive cells were under350/m l. In conclusion, around 70 % of patients were recognizedHIV infection before they become AIDS in Japan. But,a large majority of patients in our department were withbecoming AIDS or just before AIDS. We need to developthe system of early intervention for HIV infection

PRC1 suppresses a female gene regulatory network to ensure testicular differentiation.

Gonadal sex determination and differentiation are controlled by somatic support cells of testes (Sertoli cells) and ovaries (granulosa cells). In testes, the epigenetic mechanism that maintains chromatin states responsible for suppressing female sexual differentiation remains unclear. Here, we show that Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) suppresses a female gene regulatory network in postnatal Sertoli cells. We genetically disrupted PRC1 function in embryonic Sertoli cells after sex determination, and we found that PRC1-depleted postnatal Sertoli cells exhibited defective proliferation and cell death, leading to the degeneration of adult testes. In adult Sertoli cells, PRC1 suppressed specific genes required for granulosa cells, thereby inactivating the female gene regulatory network. Chromatin regions associated with female-specific genes were marked by Polycomb-mediated repressive modifications: PRC1-mediated H2AK119ub and PRC2-mediated H3K27me3. Taken together, this study identifies a critical Polycomb-based mechanism that suppresses ovarian differentiation and maintains Sertoli cell fate in adult testes

PRC1 suppresses a female gene regulatory network to ensure testicular differentiation

Abstract Gonadal sex determination and differentiation are controlled by somatic support cells of testes (Sertoli cells) and ovaries (granulosa cells). In testes, the epigenetic mechanism that maintains chromatin states responsible for suppressing female sexual differentiation remains unclear. Here, we show that Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) suppresses a female gene regulatory network in postnatal Sertoli cells. We genetically disrupted PRC1 function in embryonic Sertoli cells after sex determination, and we found that PRC1-depleted postnatal Sertoli cells exhibited defective proliferation and cell death, leading to the degeneration of adult testes. In adult Sertoli cells, PRC1 suppressed specific genes required for granulosa cells, thereby inactivating the female gene regulatory network. Chromatin regions associated with female-specific genes were marked by Polycomb-mediated repressive modifications: PRC1-mediated H2AK119ub and PRC2-mediated H3K27me3. Taken together, this study identifies a critical Polycomb-based mechanism that suppresses ovarian differentiation and maintains Sertoli cell fate in adult testes