Malignant Mixed Müllerian Tumor in a Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus): Case Report with Immunohistochemistry

A rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus) with a homologous malignant mixed müllerian tumor (MMMT) of the uterus with decidualization in the sarcomatous components is described. On histologic examination, the neoplasm was characterized by a carcinomatous and a sarcomatous component with invasion of the myometrium. The epithelial component was a well-differentiated carcinoma, and the nonepithelial component contained large amounts of intracytoplasmic glycogen. The changes in stromal cells were morphologically similar to changes usually found in decidual cells in the pregnant uterus or in deciduosarcomas in rabbits. Results of immunohistochemical analysis indicated that the epithelial components stained positive with cytokeratin (CK7, AE1/3) and the decidual-stromal cells stained positive for vimentin, but did not stain with α-SMA, actin, and desmin. This case fulfills all the criteria of an MMMT in having a carcinomatous and a sarcomatous component, but differs from cases of MMMT in women in that the sarcomatous component had decidualized. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a malignant mixed müllerian tumor in rabbits.

Supplemental Analysis for N-linked Sugars in Adult Pig Islets

The pig pancreas is considered to be one of the most suitable sources of islets for clinical xenotransplantation. However, after producing α1-3galactosyltransferase knockout pigs, most of the organs of these pigs showed less antigenicity to the human body. Wild-type adult pig islets (APIs) that originally produced negligible levels of α-Gal, different from neonatal porcine islet-like cell clusters, showed a clear antigenicity to human serum. Concerning the so-called non-Gal epitopes, many studies related to glycoproteins and glycolipids are ongoing in efforts to identify them. However, our knowledge of non-Gal glycoantigens remains incomplete. In our previous study, N-glycans were isolated from APIs, and the structures of 28 of the N-glycans were detected. In this study, to identify additional structures, further analyses were performed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). N-glycans were isolated from APIs by the method described by O'Neil et al with minor modifications and LC-MS-based structural analyses were then performed. The detected N-glycan peaks in the LC-MS spectra were selected using the FLexAnalysis software program and the structures of the glycans were predicted using the GlyocoMod Tool. The API preparation contained 11 peaks and 16 structures were then nominated as containing N-linked sugars. Among them, 5 sulfated glycans were estimated, confirming the existence of sulfate structures in N-glycans in API. In addition, these data may supplement several N-glycan structures that contain two deoxyhexose units, such as fucose, to our previous report. The data herein will be helpful for future studies of antigenicity associated with API.

Three-dimensional evaluation of healing joint morphology after closed treatment of condylar fractures

Closed treatment for condylar fractures has long been widely accepted. With closed treatment, the deviated bone fragments heal in their new positions, and this may subsequently cause a range of functional impairments. The association between healing morphology and post-treatment functional impairment is unclear. In this study, computed tomography images of 26 patients (35 sides) who had undergone closed treatment for condylar fractures were used to perform a comparative investigation of three-dimensional (3D) bone morphology before and after treatment. As a result, the morphology of the condylar process after treatment was classified into four different patterns: unchanged, spherical, L-shaped, and detached. In terms of the association between fracture types and healing morphology, fractures of the condylar head healed in the spherical pattern, simple fractures of the condylar neck healed in the spherical or L-shaped pattern, and comminuted fractures of the condylar neck healed in the spherical, L-shaped, or detached pattern. The association between mandibular deviation and healing morphology was also investigated, and it was found that deviation was greater for the spherical and detached patterns than for the L-shaped pattern. The present findings indicate that 3D evaluation of the fractured condylar process is required to elucidate the association with functional impairment after healing.

Negative ion production and beam extraction processes in a large ion source (invited)

Recent research results on negative-ion-rich plasmas in a large negative ion source have been reviewed. Spatial density and flow distributions of negative hydrogen ions (H(-)) and positive hydrogen ions together with those of electrons are investigated with a 4-pin probe and a photodetachment (PD) signal of a Langmuir probe. The PD signal is converted to local H(-) density from signal calibration to a scanning cavity ring down PD measurement. Introduction of Cs changes the slope of plasma potential local distribution depending upon the plasma grid bias. A higher electron density H2 plasma locally shields the bias potential and behaves like a metallic free electron gas. On the other hand, the bias and extraction electric fields penetrate in a Cs-seeded electronegative plasma even when the electron density is similar. Electrons are transported by the penetrated electric fields from the driver region along and across the filter and electron deflection magnetic fields. Plasma ions exhibited a completely different response against the penetration of electric fields.

Collagen V Is a Potential Substrate for Clostridial Collagenase G in Pancreatic Islet Isolation

The clostridial collagenases, H and G, play key roles in pancreatic islet isolation. Collagenases digest the peptide bond between Yaa and the subsequent Gly in Gly-Xaa-Yaa repeats. To fully understand the pancreatic islet isolation process, identification of the collagenase substrates in the tissue is very important. Although collagen types I and III were reported as possible substrates for collagenase H, the substrate for collagenase G remains unknown. In this study, collagen type V was focused upon as the target for collagenases. In vitro digestion experiments for collagen type V were performed and analyzed by SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry. Porcine pancreatic tissues were digested in vitro under three conditions and observed during digestion. The results revealed that collagen type V was only digested by collagenase G and that the digestion was initiated from the N-terminal part. Tissue degradation during porcine islet isolation was only observed in the presence of both collagenases H and G. These findings suggest that collagen type V is one of the substrates for collagenase G. The enzymatic activity of collagenase G appears to be more important for pancreatic islet isolation in large mammals such as pigs and humans.

Rupture risk factors of fallopian tubal pregnancy

The present authors analyzed patients' backgrounds and pre-surgical findings to clarify the risk factors of rupture of fallopian tubal pregnancy. The surgical findings 113 cases were clearly diagnosed as fallopian tubal pregnancy with or without rupture. Twenty-six cases of fallopian tubal pregnancy were ruptured and 87 cases were not ruptured at the time of operation. The risk factors of fallopian tubal rupture were assessed by Chi-square for independence test and multiple regression analysis. Obesity (BMI over 26), prior birth history, social welfare entitlement, ultrasonography findings of fetal heart movement, and pre-surgical serum beta-hCG level more than 3,000 mIU/ml patient were significantly higher risk in fallopian tubal rupture. Fertility treatment patient were at significantly lower risk for fallopian tubal rupture. Higher beta-hCG levels, especially >3,000 mIU/ml is associated with increased risk of fallopian tubal rupture in ectopic pregnancy.

Measurement of radial profiles of density ratio of helium to hydrogen ion using charge exchange spectroscopy with two-wavelength spectrometer

Radial profiles of density ratio of helium to hydrogen ions are measured using the charge exchange spectroscopy technique with the two-wavelength spectrometer system in the large helical device. The two-wavelength spectrometer system consists of a dichroic mirror box, a spectrometer with two grating and two camera lenses, and one CCD detector. The dichroic mirror box is used to divide the light of one fiber from the plasma to two fibers, one for HeII (λ = 468.6 nm) and the other for H(α) (λ = 656.3 nm), that are connected to the entrance slit of the spectrometer to eliminate the interference between the HeII and the H(α) spectra on the CCD. This system provides a simultaneous measurement of helium and hydrogen ion density ratio at 8 exact same locations (8 spatial channels) with a time resolution of >40 ms in the wide range of the density ratio of 0.05-5.

The influence of collagen III expression on the efficiency of cell isolation with the use of collagenase H

OBJECTIVE

We previously demonstrated that collagenase H (ColH) plays a crucial role in rat islet isolation, whereas collagenase G (ColG) plays only a supporting role. We also showed that collagen III appears to be one of the key targets of ColH based on a mass spectrometry analysis. In the present study, we investigated whether our novel findings in an islet isolation model are universally applicable for other types of cell isolation, such as a hepatocyte isolation, with the use of enzyme blends of recombinant collagenases.

METHODS

As the first step, the expression of one of the main matrix components, collagen III, on rat pancreatic and hepatic tissues was assessed with the use of immunohistochemical staining. ColG and ColH were expressed in recombinant E. coli carrying expression plasmids for each collagenase. Then the efficiency of the collagenase subtype on rat hepatocyte isolation was evaluated in terms of cell yield with the use of thermolysin combined with either ColG or ColH (n = 3, respectively).

RESULTS

The expression of collagen III on rat hepatic tissues was dramatically lower than that of rat pancreatic tissues. In the rat hepatocyte isolation, a substantial amount of hepatocytes (0.81 ± 0.11 × 10(6)) were obtained in the ColG group, whereas almost no hepatocytes were retrieved in the ColH group, indicating that the influence of the collagenase subtypes in rat hepatocyte isolation are completely opposite to that observed in rat islet isolation.

CONCLUSIONS

Considering that the expression of collagen III on hepatic tissues was relatively low and that almost no hepatocytes were retrieved when ColH and thermolysin were used, the present study supports our novel finding that collagen III appears to be one of the key targets of ColH in hepatocyte isolation. Therefore, the semiquantification of collagen III on the target tissues not only may positively contribute to efficient islet isolation, but also may affect other types of cell isolation by optimizing the ColH amount.

Cloning a neutral protease of Clostridium histolyticum, determining its substrate specificity, and designing a specific substrate

Islet transplantation is a prospective treatment for restoring normoglycemia in patients with type 1 diabetes. Islet isolation from pancreases by decomposition with proteolytic enzymes is necessary for transplantation. Two collagenases, collagenase class I (ColG) and collagenase class II (ColH), from Clostridium histolyticum have been used for islet isolation. Neutral proteases have been added to the collagenases for human islet isolation. A neutral protease from C. histolyticum (NP) and thermolysin from Bacillus thermoproteolyicus has been used for the purpose. Thermolysin is an extensively studied enzyme, but NP is not well known. We therefore cloned the gene encoding NP and constructed a Bacillus subtilis overexpression strain. The expressed enzyme was purified, and its substrate specificity was examined. We observed that the substrate specificity of NP was higher than that of thermolysin, and that the protein digestion activities of NP, as determined by colorimetric methods, were lower than those of thermolysin. It seems that decomposition using NP does not negatively affect islets during islet preparation from pancreases. Furthermore, we designed a novel substrate that allows the measurement of NP activity specifically in the enzyme mixture for islet preparation and the culture broth of C. histolyticum. The activity of NP can also be monitored during islet isolation. We hope the purified enzyme and this specific substrate contribute to the optimization of islet isolation from pancreases and that it leads to the success of islet transplantation and the improvement of the quality of life (QOL) for diabetic patients.

Note: On the wavelength dependence of the intensity calibration factor of extreme ultraviolet spectrometer determined with profile measurement of bremsstrahlung continuum

The absolute calibration factor of extreme ultraviolet spectroscopic instrument which has recently been determined from absolute radiation profile measurement of bremsstrahlung continuum has been investigated by comparing the calculated diffraction efficiency of grating. An overall tendency of the wavelength dependence of the calibration factor from 40 Å to 500 Å can be reproduced by that of the grating efficiency, especially the agreement between the measured calibration factor and the calculated grating efficiency has been found to be fairly good for the wavelength range 200 Å-500 Å.

Rapid collapse of the humeral head after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair

This report presents a case of rapidly progressive collapse of the humeral head following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. We performed humeral head replacement 8 months after the index surgery; histological examination of the collapsed area revealed necrosis, degeneration, fibrillation, and granulation in the cartilage and trabeculae. Osteonecrosis due to the use of metal anchors was considered the primary cause of the post-operative humeral head collapse. As the demand for arthroscopic cuff repair is expected to increase in the future, we recommend that surgeons become aware of the potential for complications, as seen in the present case.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

Thermal boundary resistance at Au/Ge/Ge and Au/Si/Ge interfaces

Amorphous Ge (a-Ge), crystalline Ge (c-Ge), and amorphous Si (a-Si) thin films were deposited on a Ge substrate at different temperatures by magnetron sputtering.

Assessment of the factors contributing to the variations in microcystins biodegradability of the biofilms on a practical biological treatment facility

This study revealed the biotic and abiotic parameters driving the variations in microcystins (MCs) biodegradability of a practical biological treatment facility (BTF). Results showed that similar trends of seasonal variation were seen for microcystin-LR (MCLR) biodegradability of biofilms on the BTF and indigenous MCLR-degrader population, where both peaks co-occurred in October, following the peaks of natural MCLR concentration and water temperature observed in August. The lag period might be required for accumulation of MCLR-degraders and MCLR-degrading enzyme activity. The MCLR-degrader population was correlated to temperature, MCLR and chlorophyll-a concentration in water where the biofilms submerged, indicating that these abiotic and biotic parameters exerted direct and/or indirect influences on seasonal variation in MCLR-biodegradability. In comparison, no effect of other co-existing MCs on biodegradation of one MC was observed. However, proliferation of MC-degraders along biodegradation processes positively responded to total amount of MCs, suggesting that multiple MCs contributed additively to MC-degrader proliferation.

Factors having effect on graft survival in cadaveric renal transplantation

BACKGROUND

One of the problems of cadaveric renal transplantation is that its graft survival rate is less than that for living renal transplantation. We aim to study relationships between the graft survival of cadaveric renal transplantation patients and various factors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 350 cadaveric renal transplantation patients from our institutions from 1983 to 2011. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to evaluate graft survival ratios. Using a multivariable Cox regression model, we evaluated the relationship between graft survival and the factors such as age and gender of donor and recipient, body mass index of recipient, duration of hemodialysis, warm ischemic time, and acute rejection (AR), etc.

RESULTS

Among 235 males and 115 females, the overall mean age was 41 years. Median follow-up was 15 years (2 to 28 years). The graft survival ratio was 97% at 1 year, 85% at 5 years, and 71% at 10 years. Using the Cox regression model, graft survival was affected by donor age (younger than 60 years; hazard ratio [HR] 1.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-2.0; P = .027) and early acute rejection (within 3 months; HR 2.1; CI 1.6-2.8; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

The graft survival of cadaveric renal transplantation patients is affected by factors of donor age and early AR.

Line spectrum and ion temperature measurements from tungsten ions at low ionization stages in large helical device based on vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy in wavelength range of 500-2200 Å

Vacuum ultraviolet spectra of emissions released from tungsten ions at lower ionization stages were measured in the Large Helical Device (LHD) in the wavelength range of 500-2200 Å using a 3 m normal incidence spectrometer. Tungsten ions were distributed in the LHD plasma by injecting a pellet consisting of a small piece of tungsten metal and polyethylene tube. Many lines having different wavelengths from intrinsic impurity ions were observed just after the tungsten pellet injection. Doppler broadening of a tungsten candidate line was successfully measured and the ion temperature was obtained.