Angiomyolipoma of the tunica dartos of the scrotum in infancy

AbstractA 12-month-old boy presented with left scrotal swelling. The mass was irregular, soft, fleshy, and nontender. It adhered to the scrotal skin and gradually enlarged. Operative findings revealed a mass fixed to the scrotal fundus and diagnosed as angiomyolipoma. This is apparently the first report of scrotal angiomyolipoma in infancy

キョウトフ カンムリジマ ニオケル オオミズナギドリ エイキョウカ ノ シンリン ノ グンラク コウゾウ

オオミズナギドリの繁殖地である京都府舞鶴市冠島において植生・土壌調査を行い,冠島の森林の群落構造について調査を行った。調査林分は,島嶼という孤立した環境であること,オオミズナギドリの営巣活動が盛んであったことからいずれも種多様性が低く,また極相樹種であるタブノキの後継樹となる小・中径木が少なく,タブノキ林が退行遷移を起こしやすい状態であることがわかった。タブノキの代わりに先駆的な樹種であるアカメガシワやヤブニッケイの小・中径木が多く確認され,タブノキ林に多く侵入していることが明らかになった。タブノキの林冠木が欠如した際,これらの樹種が一時的にギャップを埋める役割を果たし,再びタブノキ林へ遷移していく可能性が示唆された。また表層土壌のpHは1983年当時と同じく3.5 ～ 4.2程度と通常より低かったが,表層土壌のC/N 比の結果から土壌の肥沃度が比較的高いことが明らかになり,これがタブノキ林が長期間群落を維持していくうえで重要な役割を果たしていることが推察された

Biodegradability of Plastics

Plastic is a broad name given to different polymers with high molecular weight, which can be degraded by various processes. However, considering their abundance in the environment and their specificity in attacking plastics, biodegradation of plastics by microorganisms and enzymes seems to be the most effective process. When plastics are used as substrates for microorganisms, evaluation of their biodegradability should not only be based on their chemical structure, but also on their physical properties (melting point, glass transition temperature, crystallinity, storage modulus etc.). In this review, microbial and enzymatic biodegradation of plastics and some factors that affect their biodegradability are discussed

Denervation Like Supersensitivity in the Rat Vas Deferens Induced by Local Application of Colchicine to the Hypogastric Plexus

ABSTRAC

Hypothalamic GPR40 signaling activated by free long chain fatty acids suppresses CFA-induced inflammatory chronic pain.

GPR40 has been reported to be activated by long-chain fatty acids, such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). However, reports studying functional role of GPR40 in the brain are lacking. The present study focused on the relationship between pain regulation and GPR40, investigating the functional roles of hypothalamic GPR40 during chronic pain caused using a complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammatory chronic pain mouse model. GPR40 protein expression in the hypothalamus was transiently increased at day 7, but not at days 1, 3 and 14, after CFA injection. GPR40 was co-localized with NeuN, a neuron marker, but not with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), an astrocyte marker. At day 1 after CFA injection, GFAP protein expression was markedly increased in the hypothalamus. These increases were significantly inhibited by the intracerebroventricular injection of flavopiridol (15 nmol), a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, depending on the decreases in both the increment of GPR40 protein expression and the induction of mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia at day 7 after CFA injection. Furthermore, the level of DHA in the hypothalamus tissue was significantly increased in a flavopiridol reversible manner at day 1, but not at day 7, after CFA injection. The intracerebroventricular injection of DHA (50 µg) and GW9508 (1.0 µg), a GPR40-selective agonist, significantly reduced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia at day 7, but not at day 1, after CFA injection. These effects were inhibited by intracerebroventricular pretreatment with GW1100 (10 µg), a GPR40 antagonist. The protein expression of GPR40 was colocalized with that of β-endorphin and proopiomelanocortin, and a single intracerebroventricular injection of GW9508 (1.0 µg) significantly increased the number of neurons double-stained for c-Fos and proopiomelanocortin in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. Our findings suggest that hypothalamic GPR40 activated by free long chain fatty acids might have an important role in this pain control system

A case of tubular adenoma developing after bladder augmentation: Case report and literature review

AbstractIntroductionWe encountered a rare case of tubular adenoma developing after bladder augmentation. We here report our case as well as summarize reports in the literature on adenomas developing after bladder augmentation.Presentation of caseA 23-year-old man came to our hospital for routine surveillance cystoscopy. He was born with a lipomyelomeningocele and neurogenic bladder with low bladder compliance, and hence his bladder was routinely emptied by clean intermittent catheterization. He was also treated with anticholinergic agents. However, because the patient’s neurogenic bladder was unstable, he underwent sigmoidocolocystoplasty when he was 8-years old. After the bladder augmentation, he was examined annually by surveillance cystoscopy.On cystoscopy, a 5-mm pedunculated polyp was found on the front side of the sigmoid colon cap. Therefore, we performed snare polypectomy together with electrocoagulation under cystoscopy. The patient’s final diagnosis was tubular adenoma (mild atypia) with no malignancy, as assessed by histopathology. There has been no evidence of recurrence after the polypectomy on routine surveillance cystoscopy.DiscussionTo the best of our knowledge, there have been 11 cases of adenoma occurring after bladder augmentation reported in the literature, including our present case. There are several carcinogenic pathways associated with colorectal oncogenesis. Adenomas that are larger than 1.0cm in diameter with a marked villous component have a high risk of oncogenesis.ConclusionWe believe that the early detection of carcinoma or adenoma and their treatment at an early stage is crucial. Therefore, we recommend routine surveillance cystoscopy for patients after bladder augmentation