Effect of interaction shape on the condensed toroid of the semiflexible chain

We investigate how different microscopic interactions between semiflexible chain segments can qualitatively alter the physical properties of the condensed toroid. We propose a general form of the Hamiltonian of the toroid and discuss its analytic properties. For different interactions, the theory predicts different scaling behaviors of the mean toroidal and cross sectional radii, rc and rcross, as functions of the contour length L: (rc,rcross) approximately Lnu(Nc), with nu=(1/5,2/5) for the van der Waals-type, nu=(-1/3,2/3) for the Coulomb-type, and nu=(-1,1) for the delta-function-type attractions in the asymptotic limit. For the toroids with finite winding number Nc=100-400, we find nu approximately 0 for the Yukawa interaction with screening parameter kappa=0.5-1.0 and nu=0.1-0.13 for the van der Waals-type interactions. These findings could provide a possible explanation for the experimentally well known observation nu approximately 0 of the condensed DNA toroids. Conformational transitions are also discussed.

Hypointense gallbladder on MR cholangiopancreatography

A few patients show a gallbladder of poor visibility on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) images due to various reasons. A 45-year-old man was referred with abdominal pain and fever. In contrast enhanced computed tomography, several calcified gallstones were observed in the gallbladder. Although a solitary calcified stone was seen in the neck of the gallbladder, neither stones in the common bile duct (CBD) nor dilatation of CBD were observed. On MRCP, hypointense gallbladder with no filling defect in the CBD was observed. Histopathological analysis of the gallbladder, which was obtained by laparoscopic cholecystectomy, confirmed severe chronic cholecystitis with several calcified gallstones up to 0.5 cm in diameter. In conclusion, the finding of hypointense gallbladder on MRCP in patients with cholecystitis and its underlying condition, though rare, should be kept in mind.

Pulmonary sequestration with elevated serum level of progastrin-releasing peptide

A 74-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis was referred for a mass incidentally noted on chest radiograph. Chest CT scan showed cystic lesions in the right lower lobe. The lesion was evaluated as bronchiectasis, and she was followed up. Three years after the initial presentation, the appearance of the lesion had changed significantly and an elevated air-fluid level in the cystic structures was shown on chest CT scan. The preoperative serum progastrin-releasing peptide (proGRP) level was elevated (108.0 pg/ml; normal: <50 pg/ml). Histopathological specimen obtained by standard lower lobectomy confirmed that the lesion was an intralobar pulmonary sequestration. In the resected lobe, there was no malignant finding, but there were neuroendocrine tumorlet cells, which were positive for proGRP. One month after the resection, the serum proGRP level returned to normal. No pulmonary sequestration with high levels of proGRP has been reported, and this is the first case with elevated serum levels of proGRP.

Overexpression of GATA-3 Protects against the Development of Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis

RATIONALE

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is mediated by a Th1 immune response. Transcription factor GATA binding protein-3 (GATA-3) is believed to be a key regulator of Th2 differentiation and thus might play regulatory roles in the pathogenesis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP).

OBJECTIVES

We examined the effect of GATA-3 overexpression on the development of HP in mice.

METHODS

Wild-type C57BL/6 mice and GATA-3-overexpressing mice of the same background were used in this study. HP was induced by repeated exposure to Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula, the causative antigen of farmer's lung.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Antigen exposure resulted in a marked inflammatory response with enhanced pulmonary expression of T-bet and the Th1 cytokine interferon (IFN)-gamma in wild-type mice. The degree of pulmonary inflammation was much less severe in GATA-3-overexpressing mice. The induction of T-bet and IFN-gamma genes was suppressed, but a significant induction of Th2 cytokines, including IL-5 and IL-13, was observed in the lungs of GATA-3-overexpressing mice after antigen exposure. Supplementation with recombinant IFN-gamma enhanced lung inflammatory responses in GATA-3-overexpressing mice to the level of wild-type mice. Because antigen-induced IFN-gamma production predominantly occurred in CD4+ T cells, nude mice were transferred with CD4+ T cells from either wild-type or GATA-3-overexpressing mice and subsequently exposed to antigen. Lung inflammatory responses were significantly lower in nude mice transferred with CD4+ T cells from GATA-3-overexpressing mice than in those with wild-type CD4+ T cells, with a reduction of lung IFN-gamma level.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that overexpression of GATA-3 attenuates the development of HP by correcting the Th1-polarizing condition.

A long-term survivor with pulmonary large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma

Pulmonary large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) has been characterized by highly aggressive behavior, with early spread to both regional lymph nodes and distant sites and a rapidly fatal course. In fact, no reports have described an advanced pulmonary LCNEC patient who has had long-term survival. A patient with large-sized pulmonary LCNEC, who is free of disease 11 years after surgery and postoperative chemotherapy, was reported.

A transverse ligament located anterosuperiorly in the lower orbital fat space restricts lower eyelid retraction in the Mongoloid eye

We previously reported that a lower positioned transverse ligament, which was identified just above the fusional line between the orbital septum and the levator aponeurosis or anteroinferiorly in the upper orbital fat space, determines the lower position of the preaponeurotic fat, and restricts the upper eyelid retraction causing the external features that define the appearance of the Mongoloid eye. Because the narrow palpebral fissure of the Mongoloid eye is composed of the restricted upper eyelid and the restricted lower eyelid, we surmised that the ligamentous tissue, which is analogous to the lower positioned transverse ligament in the upper eyelid, might also exist in the lower eyelid.

[Respiratory chemosensitivity in dementia with Lewy bodies]

The incidence of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is increasing rapidly due to the increasing longevity of the population. In DLB, autonomic dysfunction, such as sleep disorders, and cardiopulmonary arrest, together with unconsciousness, can occur. Such cases have poor prognosis and may have dysfunction of chemosensitivity in the respiratory center. We have assessed the function of the respiratory center, especially chemosensitivity to hypercapnia. Twelve probable DLB patients (Group 1) and twelve age-matched healthy subjects (Group 2) were examined. Chemosensitivities to hypercapnia expressed by delta expiratory volume/delta partial pressure of carbon dioxide/body surface area: mean 0.16 (1/min/Torr/m(2)) in Group 1 and 0.49 in Group 2. Thus, patients with DLB had a subnormal hypercapnic response in chemosensitivity of the respiratory center, suggesting dysfunction of the respiratory center. Respiratory center dysfunction may be related to cardiopulmonary arrest together with unconsciousness, so, patients with DLB should not use drugs affecting the respiratory center.

A strategy for identification of oligosaccharide structures using observational multistage mass spectral library

Glycosylation is the most widespread posttranslational modification in eukaryotes; however, the role of oligosaccharides attached to proteins has been little studied because of the lack of a sensitive and easy analytical method for oligosaccharide structures. Recently, tandem mass spectrometric techniques have been revealing that oligosaccharides might have characteristic signal intensity profiles. We describe here a strategy for the rapid and accurate identification of the oligosaccharide structures on glycoproteins using only mass spectrometry. It is based on a comparison of the signal intensity profiles of multistage tandem mass (MSn) spectra between the analyte and a library of observational mass spectra acquired from structurally defined oligosaccharides prepared using glycosyltransferases. To smartly identify the oligosaccharides released from biological materials, a computer suggests which ion among the fragment ions in the MS/MS spectrum should yield the most informative MS3 spectrum to distinguish similar oligosaccharides. Using this strategy, we were able to identify the structure of N-linked oligosaccharides in immunoglobulin G as an example.

Prognostic Value of Tumor Disappearance Rate on Computed Tomography in Advanced-Stage Lung Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The proportion of tumor disappearance rate (TDR) on conventional computed tomography (CT) is associated with less aggressive biology, and patients with small peripheral adenocarcinoma accompanied by the TDR component showed better prognosis. These findings led us to the idea that even advanced-stage adenocarcinomas with a higher TDR in the primary lesion on CT might suggest slowly progressing cancer. This study was designed to determine the value of the TDR area in the primary site of advanced-stage lung adenocarcinoma with CT and correlate the CT findings with clinical outcome.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In 103 patients with stage IIIB and IV lung adenocarcinoma, CT appearances and clinical data were reviewed retrospectively. Three methods were used in the evaluation of the TDR area: method I, consolidation on mediastinal windows/mass on lung windows > 75% or not; method II, maximum diameter on mediastinal windows/maximum diameter on lung windows (diameter ratio) > 75% or not; and method III, TDR area on lung windows > 25% or not.

RESULTS

In univariate analysis, patients with lung adenocarcinoma with TDR have a more favorable prognosis than those without TDR in all 3 methods (method I, P = 0.001; method II, P = 0.024; method III, P = 0.014; log-rank test). In multivariate analysis, a favorable prognosis in patients with adenocarcinoma with TDR was shown in method I (P = 0.015) and method III (P = 0.006).

CONCLUSION

As shown in patients with small peripheral lung adenocarcinoma, those with TDR on CT tended to have a good prognosis in contrast to those without TDR, even in patients with advanced-stage lung adenocarcinoma. Prospective study to confirm these results will be required.

u-SHARE: web-based decision support/risk communication tool for healthcare consumers with unruptured intracranial aneurysms

PURPOSE

Clinical management for unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIA) is controversial and requires professional knowledge which is the main reason that patients have difficulty in making decisions. The purpose of this study is to develop a tool that aids healthcare consumers in making optimal shared decisions with decision analysis.

METHODS

The decision model and relevant data were derived from published literature. A web-based decision analytic tool was designed to provide a systematic guide for patients to understand favorable treatment options, intrinsic uncertainty, and critical factors for decision making. Twenty-nine testers evaluated content appropriateness, usability and clinical usefulness of the tool.

RESULTS

The decision analytic tool has been successfully implemented and evaluated. Testers generally judged the web-based decision analytic tool as functional and useful. Acceptance rate for decision analysis was higher in nonhealthcare professionals than health care professionals.

CONCLUSIONS

Our decision analytic tool was well accepted especially by healthcare consumers. The tool enables UIA patients to enhance their knowledge and understanding toward optimal shared decision making and can be an alternative "structured informed consent tool".

A patient with pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis successfully treated with TS-1 and cisplatin

A 37-year-old man was referred to our hospital with complaints of dyspnea and general fatigue. Chest radiograph and CT scan revealed thickness of bronchovascular bundles in both lungs. In spite of various examinations, the primary lesion was not identified. He received chemotherapy containing TS-1 and cisplatin. Pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis disappeared and the patient achieved a good partial response. He survived for 14 months after the chemotherapy. We believe the combination of TS-1 and cisplatin is one of the attractive options for patients with cancer of unknown primary site.

Anaerobic bacterial empyema accompanying intrathoracic gas formation in anorexia nervosa

OBJECTIVE

Intrathoracic gas formation due to anaerobic pleuropulmonary infection is rare.

METHOD & RESULTS

We experienced a case of empyema with intrathoracic gas formation by an anaerobic bacterium in a young woman with anorexia nervosa (AN).

CONCLUSION

We should therefore be alert to the possibility of serious infection in patients with AN, even when they have few complaints or normal white blood cell counts.

Low-energy states of a semiflexible polymer chain with attraction and the whip-toroid transitions

We establish a general model for the whip-toroid transitions of a semiflexible homopolymer chain using the path integral method and the O3 nonlinear sigma model on a line segment with the local inextensibility constraint. We exactly solve the energy levels of classical solutions and show that some of its classical configurations exhibit toroidal forms, and the system has phase transitions from a whip to toroidal states with a conformation parameter c = (W2l)(L2pi)2. We also discuss the stability of the toroid states and propose the low-energy effective Green's function. Finally, with the finite size effect on the toroid states, predicted toroidal properties are successfully compared to experimental results of DNA condensation.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel human beta1,3-glucosyltransferase, which is localized at the endoplasmic reticulum and glucosylates O-linked fucosylglycan on thrombospondin type 1 repeat domain

Protein O-linked fucosylation is an unusual glycosylation associated with many important biological functions such as Notch signaling. Two fucosylation pathways synthesizing O-fucosylglycans have been reported on cystein-knotted proteins, that is, on epidermal growth factor-like (EGF-like) domains and on thrombospondin Type 1 repeat (TSR) domains. We report here the molecular cloning and characterization of a novel beta1,3-glucosyltransferase (beta3Glc-T) that synthesizes a Glcbeta1,3Fucalpha- structure on the TSR domain. We found a novel glycosyltransferase gene with beta1,3-glycosyltransferase (beta3GT) motifs in databases. The recombinant enzyme expressed in human embryonic kidney 293T (HEK293T) cells exhibited glucosyltransferase activity toward fucose-alpha-para-nitrophenyl (Fucalpha-pNp). Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analysis revealed that the product of the recombinant enzyme migrated to the same position as did the product of endogenous beta3Glc-T of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The two products could be digested by beta-glucosidase from almond and by exo-1,3-beta-glucanase from Trichoderma sp. These results strongly suggested that the product has the structure of Glcbeta1-3Fuc. Therefore, we named this novel enzyme beta3Glc-T. Immunostaining revealed that FLAG-tagged beta3Glc-T is an enzyme residing in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via retention signal, "REEL," which is a KDEL-like sequence, at the C-terminus. The TSR domain expressed in Escherichia coli was first fucosylated by the recombinant protein O-fucosyltransferase 2 (POFUT2), after which it became an acceptor substrate for the recombinant beta3Glc-T, which could apparently transfer Glc to the fucosylated TSR domain. Our results suggest that a novel glycosyltransferase, beta3Glc-T, contributes to the elongation of O-fucosylglycan and that this occurs specifically on TSR domains.

No association between green tea and prostate cancer risk in Japanese men: the Ohsaki Cohort Study

In a prospective study of 19 561 Japanese men, green-tea intake was not associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer (110 cases), the multivariate hazard ratio for men drinking ≥5 cups compared with <1 cup per day being 0.85 (95% confidence interval 0.50–1.43, trend P=0.81).

Pregnancy complicated with Buerger's disease

Buerger's disease is an inflammatory occlusive vascular disorder involving small- and medium-sized arteries in the distal extremities and is usually complicated with thrombophlebitis. Since Buerger's disease develops most frequently in men who smoke, pregnancy complicated with this disease is extremely rare. Only three pregnancies have been reported previously. All cases indicate that Buerger's disease worsens during pregnancy. However, anti-coagulant therapy appeared to be effective in this case. Accordingly, careful observation is mandatory in pregnancies complicated with Buerger's disease.

Effects of running exercise on fibre-type distribution of soleus and plantaris muscles in diabetic Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rats

AIM

Effect of running exercise on fibre-type distributions of the slow soleus and fast plantaris muscles was investigated in male Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rats (OLETF) as an animal model of spontaneous type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

Five-week-old OLETF rats were allowed to exercise voluntarily in running wheels for 32 days and the data were compared with those of age-matched non-exercised OLETF and non-diabetic Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka rats (LETO).

RESULTS

In the soleus muscle, a higher percentage of type I fibres was observed in non-exercised OLETF rats compared with LETO rats, and there were no type IIA fibres in non-exercised OLETF rats. In the plantaris muscle, a higher percentage of type IIB fibres and a lower percentage of type I and type IIA fibres were observed in non-exercised OLETF rats compared with LETO rats. In contrast, there were no differences in the fibre-type distribution of soleus and plantaris muscles between exercised OLETF and LETO rats. The body weight and type I fibre percentage of the soleus muscle were related to the running distance in exercised OLETF rats. White adipose tissue weight, HbA(1c) and blood insulin and glucose concentrations were lower in exercised OLETF rats than in non-exercised OLETF rats, irrespective of the running distance. There was a difference in the gene-expression pattern of the soleus muscle among LETO rats, non-exercised OLETF and exercised OLETF rats.

CONCLUSION

Running exercise can inhibit diabetes-associated type shifting of fibres, which is more apparent with postnatal growth, in skeletal muscles of diabetic OLETF rats, as a result of mRNA expression change in muscle.