221 research outputs found
Existence of the Wigner function with correct marginal distributions along tilted lines on a lattice
In order to determine the Wigner function uniquely, we introduce a new
condition which ensures that the Wigner function has correct marginal
distributions along tilted lines. For a system in dimensional Hilbert
space, whose "phase space" is a lattice with sites, we get different
results depending on whether is odd or even. Under the new condition, the
Wigner function is determined if is an odd number, but it does not exist if
is even.Comment: 18 page
ヒト角化上皮細胞における5-FU誘発性酸化ストレスおよび炎症応答に対するresveratrolの保護効果
Although 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is currently used as an anti-cancer chemotherapy, adverse effects such as oral mucositis potentially limit its clinical application. Additionally, the prevention of 5-FU-induced side effects are scarce. Resveratrol is known to decrease oxidative damage and inflammation. In this study, we examined the protective effects of resveratrol on 5-FU-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in normal human keratinocytes (HaCaT cell) as in vitro oral mucositis model. HaCaT cells were exposed to 5-FU and simultaneously treated with resveratrol. The effects of resveratrol on 5-FU-induced cytotoxicity were evaluated using cell viability assay. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured using a fluorescence spectrophotometer. The effects of resveratrol on nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), silent information regulator transcript-1 (SIRT-1), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling and inflammatory cytokine expression were examined. Resveratrol suppressed 5-FU-induced overproduction of ROS by upregulating anti-oxidant defense genes through Nrf2 activation and SIRT-1 expression. Concerning inflammatory responses, resveratrol suppressed the 5-FU-induced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines via NF-κB nuclear translocation. Conversely, N-acetylcysteine reduced ROS levels without affecting the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Resveratrol might be useful for preventing 5-FU-induced adverse effects by activating anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory responses
Wigner Functions on a Lattice
The Wigner functions on the one dimensional lattice are studied. Contrary to
the previous claim in literature, Wigner functions exist on the lattice with
any number of sites, whether it is even or odd. There are infinitely many
solutions satisfying the conditions which reasonable Wigner functions should
respect. After presenting a heuristic method to obtain Wigner functions, we
give the general form of the solutions. Quantum mechanical expectation values
in terms of Wigner functions are also discussed.Comment: 11 pages, no figures, REVTE
Genetic Analyses of Elys Mutations in Drosophila Show Maternal-Effect Lethality and Interactions with Nucleoporin Genes
ELYS determines the subcellular localizations of Nucleoporins (Nups) during interphase and mitosis. We made loss-of-function mutations of Elys in Drosophila melanogaster and found that ELYS is dispensable for zygotic viability and male fertility but the maternal supply is necessary for embryonic development. Subsequent to fertilization, mitotic progression of the embryos produced by the mutant females is severely disrupted at the first cleavage division, accompanied by irregular behavior of mitotic centrosomes. The Nup160 introgression from D. simulans shows close resemblance to that of the Elys mutations, suggesting a common role for those proteins in the first cleavage division. Our genetic experiments indicated critical interactions between ELYS and three Nup107–160 subcomplex components; hemizygotes of either Nup37, Nup96 or Nup160 were lethal in the genetic background of the Elys mutation. Not only Nup96 and Nup160 but also Nup37 of D. simulans behave as recessive hybrid incompatibility genes with D. melanogaster. An evolutionary analysis indicated positive natural selection in the ELYS-like domain of ELYS. Here we propose that genetic incompatibility between Elys and Nups may lead to reproductive isolation between D. melanogaster and D. simulans, although direct evidence is necessary
Midgut pain due to an intussuscepting terminal ileal lipoma: a case report
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>The occurrence of intussusception in adults is rare. The condition is found in 1 in 1300 abdominal operations and 1 in 100 patients operated for intestinal obstruction. The child to adult ratio is 20:1.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 52-year-old Irish Caucasian woman was investigated for a 3-month history of intermittent episodes of colicky midgut pain and associated constipation. Ileocolonoscopy revealed a pedunculated lesion in the terminal ileum prolapsing into the caecum. Computed tomography confirmed a smooth-walled, nonobstructing, low density intramural lesion in the terminal ileum with secondary intussusception. A laparoscopic small bowel resection was performed. Histology revealed a large pedunculated polypoidal mass measuring 4 × 2.5 × 2 cm consistent with a submucosal lipoma. She had complete resolution of her symptoms and remained well at 12-month follow-up.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This case highlights an unusual cause of incomplete small bowel obstruction successfully treated through interdisciplinary cooperation. Ileal lipomas are not typically amenable to endoscopic removal and require resection. This can be successfully achieved via a laparoscopic approach with early restoration of premorbid functioning.</p
Targetable ERBB2 mutation status is an independent marker of adverse prognosis in estrogen receptor positive, ERBB2 non-amplified primary lobular breast carcinoma: a retrospective in silico analysis of public datasets
© 2020 The Author(s). Background: Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) accounts for 10-15% of primary breast cancers and is typically estrogen receptor alpha positive (ER+) and ERBB2 non-amplified. Somatic mutations in ERBB2/3 are emerging as a tractable mechanism underlying enhanced human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) activity. We tested the hypothesis that therapeutically targetable ERBB2/3 mutations in primary ILC of the breast associate with poor survival outcome in large public datasets. Methods: We performed in silico comparison of ERBB2 non-amplified cases of ER+ stage I-III primary ILC (N = 279) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC, N = 1301) using METABRIC, TCGA, and MSK-IMPACT information. Activating mutations amenable to HER2-directed therapy with neratinib were identified using existing functional data from in vitro cell line and xenograft experiments. Multivariate analysis of 10-year overall survival (OS) with tumor size, grade, and lymph node status was performed using a Cox regression model. Differential gene expression analyses by ERBB2 mutation and amplification status was performed using weighted average differences and an in silico model of response to neratinib derived from breast cancer cell lines. Results: ILC tumors comprised 17.7% of all cases in the dataset but accounted for 47.1% of ERBB2-mutated cases. Mutations in ERBB2 were enriched in ILC vs. IDC cases (5.7%, N = 16 vs. 1.4%, N = 18, p < 0.0001) and clustered in the tyrosine kinase domain of HER2. ERBB3 mutations were not enriched in ILC (1.1%, N = 3 vs. 1.8%, N = 23; p = 0.604). Median OS for patients with ERBB2-mutant ILC tumors was 66 months vs. 211 months for ERBB2 wild-type (p = 0.0001), and 159 vs. 166 months (p = 0.733) for IDC tumors. Targetable ERBB2 mutational status was an independent prognostic marker of 10-year OS - but only in ILC (hazard ratio, HR = 3.7, 95% CI 1.2-11.0; p = 0.021). Findings were validated using a novel ERBB2 mutation gene enrichment score (HR for 10-year OS in ILC = 2.3, 95% CI 1.04-5.05; p = 0.040). Conclusions: Targetable ERBB2 mutations are enriched in primary ILC and their detection represents an actionable strategy with the potential to improve patient outcomes. Biomarker-led clinical trials of adjuvant HER-targeted therapy are warranted for patients with ERBB2-mutated primary ILC
The First Very Long Baseline Interferometry Image of 44 GHz Methanol Maser with the KVN and VERA Array (KaVA)
We have carried out the first very long baseline interferometry (VLBI)
imaging of 44 GHz class I methanol maser (7_{0}-6_{1}A^{+}) associated with a
millimeter core MM2 in a massive star-forming region IRAS 18151-1208 with KaVA
(KVN and VERA Array), which is a newly combined array of KVN (Korean VLBI
Network) and VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry). We have succeeded in
imaging compact maser features with a synthesized beam size of 2.7
milliarcseconds x 1.5 milliarcseconds (mas). These features are detected at a
limited number of baselines within the length of shorter than approximately 650
km corresponding to 100 Mlambda in the uv-coverage. The central velocity and
the velocity width of the 44 GHz methanol maser are consistent with those of
the quiescent gas rather than the outflow traced by the SiO thermal line. The
minimum component size among the maser features is ~ 5 mas x 2 mas, which
corresponds to the linear size of ~ 15 AU x 6 AU assuming a distance of 3 kpc.
The brightness temperatures of these features range from ~ 3.5 x 10^{8} to 1.0
x 10^{10} K, which are higher than estimated lower limit from a previous Very
Large Array observation with the highest spatial resolution of ~ 50 mas. The 44
GHz class I methanol maser in IRAS 18151-1208 is found to be associated with
the MM2 core, which is thought to be less evolved than another millimeter core
MM1 associated with the 6.7 GHz class II methanol maser.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figure
Utility of Ankyrin 3 as a Prognostic Marker in Androgen-Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Running Title: Prognostic Value of ANK3 in AR-Positive Breast Cancer
© 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Purpose: Androgen receptor (AR) and AR signaling pathways are thought to play a role in breast cancer (BC) and are potentially related to treatment responses and outcomes. Ankyrin 3 (ANK3) is associated with AR stability in cancer cells. In the present study, we investigated the clinicopathological utility of ANK3 expression with emphasis on AR and its associated signalling pathway at transcriptomic and proteomic phases. Patients and methods: The Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC) cohort (n = 1980) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset (n = 1039) were used to assess the expression and significance of ANK3 mRNA and other AR signalling pathway-associated gene signature. Using immunohistochemistry, ANK3 protein expression was evaluated in large (n = 982) cohort of early-stage BC with long-term follow-up and compared with clinicopathological characteristics and its prognostic value in the whole cohort and the subgroups stratified by AR protein expression. Results: An AR-related gene signature was developed, comprising 20 genes, which included ANK3. This AR-related gene signature was significantly associated with AR mRNA expression, oestrogen receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status and the patients’ outcomes. In tumours with high AR protein expression (n = 614), high ANK3 protein expression was significantly associated with progesterone receptor positivity and it was independently associated with the good outcomes (p = 0.025). Conclusions: This study indicates that ANK3 is related to AR signalling pathway and is associated with BC prognosis
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