Neuroendocrine Differentiation in Breast Cancer: Clinicopathological Significance of Bcl-2 Positive Solid Papillary Carcinoma

Solid papillary carcinoma (SPC) is considered a rare malignant breast tumor. Maluf and Koerner first reported this disease entity as a special type of ductal carcinoma in situ with several characteristic histopathological features, including low-grade cellular atypia, intracellular or extracellular mucin deposition, and solid papillary growth pattern, as well as neuroendocrine differentiation. The present paper describes a case of SPC with bcl-2 expression, which is known as a marker for malignancy of neuroendocrine tumors. Interestingly, despite bcl-2 expression being a poor prognostic indicator of neuroendocrine tumors, the patient with this tumor has achieved long-term survival (approximately 6 years) at the time of writing this report. Because previous investigators reported that bcl-2 expression might play a role in the inhibition of the development of breast cancer, we suggest that bcl-2 expression might reflect a good prognosis in patients with SPC, rather than being a poor prognostic indicator, as it is in several types of neuroendocrine tumor. However, to confirm this hypothesis, further investigation is required

Energy response of X-rays under high flux conditions using a thin APD for the energy range of 6–33 keV

This paper reports on the demonstration of a high-rate energy measurement technique using a thin depletion layer silicon avalanche photodiode (Si-APD). A dedicated amplitude-to-time converter is developed to realize simultaneous energy and timing measurement in a high rate condition. The energy response of the system is systematically studied by using monochromatic X-ray beam with an incident energy ranging from 6 to 33 keV. The obtained energy spectra contain clear peaks and tail distributions. The peak fraction monotonously decreases as the incident photon energy increases. This phenomenon can be explained by considering the distribution of the energy deposit in silicon, which is investigated by using a Monte Carlo simulation

Fast x-ray detector system with simultaneous measurement of timing and energy for a single photon

We developed a fast X-ray detector system for nuclear resonant scattering (NRS) experiments. Our system employs silicon avalanche photo-diode (Si-APD) as a fast X-ray sensor. The system is able to acquire both timing and energy of a single X-ray photon simultaneously in a high rate condition, 106 counts per second for one Si-APD. The performance of the system was investigated in SPring-8, a synchrotron radiation facility in Japan. Good time resolution of 120 ps (FWHM) was achieved with a slight tail distribution in the time spectrum by a level of 10-9 at 1 ns apart from the peak. Using this system, we successfully observed the NRS from the 26.27-keV level of mercury-201, which has a half-life of 630(50) ps. We also demonstrated the reduction of background events caused by radioactive decays in a radioactive sample by discriminating photon energy

開心術前後における身体組成変動

Lean body mass decreases after a major operation such as open-heart surgery, which leads to postoperative complications, as a drastic loss of muscle mass is related to infections and longer hospital stays. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in lean body mass and muscle mass including body composition the perioperative phase until discharge in patients undergoing open-heart surgery. Body fluids, fat and lean body mass in 17 patients were determined before and 1 week after surgery, and at discharge using bioelectrical impedance analysis. In addition, the levels of hemoglobin, albumin, and C-reactive protein in blood were measured. Cardiac rehabilitation consisted of early mobilization and aerobic bicycle exercise was subsequently performed after confirmation of independent walking for 200 meters. Early mobilization after surgery was assisted by physical therapists experienced in cases of cardiovascular surgery. Early mobilization required no more than 3 delayed days and no major complications until discharge in any of the patients. Weight and body mass index were significantly lower at discharge than before and 1 week after surgery, while lean body mass, muscle mass, total body water, intracellular fluid, body protein, and body cell mass values were significantly lower at discharge than before surgery. The changes in body composition seen after cardiac surgery until discharge indicated continuous catabolic reactions in our patients and some cytokines have been suggested to influence this phenomenon. After receiving open-heart surgery, it is important for patients to receive nutritional therapy and begin resistance exercise as soon as possible. Aerobic exercise should produce muscle protein synthesis and increase muscle mass under adequate nutritional support including specific amino acid supplements. Our findings indicate that muscle mass and nutritional status should be monitored after discharge and followed consistently in patients after open-heart surgery

Porphyromonas gingivalis SOD の活性中心金属の近位には，トレオニンがセリンよりも優先的に選択される:155位Gly をSer に変異させた影響

Summary In this study, we analyzed the cambialistic superoxide dismutases (SODs) of Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg–SODs) with a mutation directed at glycine position 155 to introduce serine. Glycine 155 is a highly conserved outer sphere in manganese–containing SODs (Mn–SODs), even though threonine is substituted at this position in most iron–containing SODs (Fe–SODs). Conversion of glycine 155 may affect the metal–specific activity of SODs, including that of cambialistic Pg–SODs.Previously, we reported that a Pg–SOD Gly155Thr mutant exhibited a substantially changed metalspecific activity from that of a cambialistic type to an Fe–specific type. Although serine and threonine equally contribute to protein function, serine has never been observed at position 155 in SODs. In order to elucidate this phenomenon, we created a Pg–SOD mutant Gly155Ser. The specific Fedependent activity of this mutant was almost identical to the wild–type SOD, whereas the Mndependent activity exhibited a 60% reduction. The ultraviolet–visible absorption of Fe– and Mnreconstituted mutant SODs did not exhibit characteristic absorption spectra. Similar to the wild–typeSODs, the mutant SODs exhibited a single band with identical mobilities after separation by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. However, their behavior after anion–exchange chromatography differed from that of the wild–type SODs. Thus, Gly155 is considered to be an essential residue for maintaining the hydrogen–bond network for Mn–specific and Fe/Mn–tolerant activity. Gly155 was possibly retained instead of Ser during the evolution of SODs owing to its increased efficiency in maintaining a dimeric structure

Association of inattention with slow-spindle density in sleep EEG of children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder

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