[A case of spindle cell carcinoma of the breast including metaplastic lesion with poor prognosis].

A 57-year-old woman complained of a huge and rapid growing mass with bleeding in the left breast. Breast imaging (CT and MRI)showed a large, irregular and unevenly enhanced tumor with lymph node swelling in the left axilla. Mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection were performed for control of bleeding from the tumor in the left breast.

Images in clinical urology. Floating balls appearance in testicular cystic teratoma.

Fourteen cases of a "floating balls" appearance on imaging studies in a mature ovarian cystic teratoma have been reported in published studies since 1991. Past investigators could not provide an explanation for the true mechanism of the formation of the balls. However, the floating balls occurred in rather large cysts.

Estrogen receptor alpha gene ESR1 amplification may predict endocrine therapy responsiveness in breast cancer patients.

Estrogen receptor (ER) alpha plays a crucial role in normal breast development and has also been linked to mammary carcinogenesis and clinical outcome in breast cancer patients. However, the molecular mechanisms controlling the expression of ERalpha are as yet not fully understood. Gene amplification is one of the important factors regulating protein expression.

[The development of a method to evaluate general ward nursing care practices targeted at families of cancer patients--identification and selection of items for evaluation].

As a first step to develop a method to evaluate general ward nursing care practices targeted at families of cancer patients, the current study aimed to identify and select items for evaluation. Forms of nursing care considered to be necessary for the families of cancer patients were extracted from previous literature and categorized. We identified 5 categories, and 20 items were created to reflect the type of nursing care in these categories.

Influence of darkness on embryonic diapause termination in dormant Artemia cysts with no experience of desiccation.

One of the environmental cues for Artemia embryonic diapause termination (EDT), the nature of which is barely understood, is the absence of light, although light-dark cycles (photoperiod) have been examined in inducing embryonic diapause. The influence of constant darkness (DD) on EDT was investigated in laboratory-produced cysts of Artemia franciscana. In a previous report (Nambu et al.

[Discrepancy between Gleason score of needle biopsies and radical prostatectomy specimens--current situation of general pathologists].

We retrospectively reviewed the discrepancy in Gleason score between needle biopsy and radical prostatectomy specimens. Specimens from 153 patients who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy at Gifu University Hospital and 9 community-based institutions between January 2001 and December 2005, were studied. Gleason score was determined by the general pathologist at each institution.

Appropriate probe search method to specify groups in higher taxonomic ranks.

A new method for procedures using a computer to find out useful candidates for probes discriminating a certain group in higher ranks of bacteria is presented. In order to make the search of the probes systematic, two indices are proposed, i.e.

[Case of urachal cancer treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy with FOLFOX4 (oxaliplatin, 5-FU and leukovolin)].

A 52-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for treatment of urachal cancer. She complained of supurapubic dull pain and gross hematuria. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a non-papillary sessile tumor, which was located on the dome of the bladder and invaded the small intestine.

Effect of work conditions and work environments on the formation of 8-OH-dG in nurses and non-nurse female workers.

The purpose of our study was to examine the effects of job stress factors on oxidative DNA injuries among female workers. The levels of urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) were measured along with a survey on work conditions and environments. The result showed that female workers in shift work excreted increased levels of 8-OH-dG in comparison with the result of those who were engaged in part time work (P < 0.

[Ruptured pseudoaneurysm of the renal artery associated with segmental arterial mediolysis].

We present a 71-year-old woman with spontaneous perinephric hematoma due to a rupture of pseudoaneurysm of the right renal artery on the fourth day after radical cystectomy and bilateral ureterocutaneostomy for bladder cancer. This patient received steroid therapy for chronic rheumatoid arthritis for several years. The digital subtraction angiography of the right renal artery showed two pseudoaneurysms in the anterior inferior segmental branch and the posterior inferior segmental branch.

A dendrogram of archaea based on lipid component parts composition and its relationship to rRNA phylogeny.

The results of two objective and quantitative, computer-assisted analyses of the lipid component parts distribution pattern among various archaeal organisms belonging to Euryarchaeota are reported. One was a cluster analysis and the other a selection of unique combinations of lipid component parts found exclusively in a given taxon. The cluster analysis revealed that the distribution of lipid component parts was correlated with phylogeny based on small subunit rRNA sequences, although there was some discrepancy with rRNA phylogeny.

ATP hydrolysis and synthesis of a rotary motor V-ATPase from Thermus thermophilus.

Vacuolar-type H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) catalyzes ATP synthesis and hydrolysis coupled with proton translocation across membranes via a rotary motor mechanism. Here we report biochemical and biophysical catalytic properties of V-ATPase from Thermus thermophilus. ATP hydrolysis of V-ATPase was severely inhibited by entrapment of Mg-ADP in the catalytic site.

Utility of Bcl-2, P53, Ki-67, and caveolin-1 immunostaining in the prediction of biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy in a Japanese population.

Objectives: To identify predictive markers for biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy in patients with clinically confined prostate cancer.

Methods: Immunohistochemistry of bcl-2, p53, Ki-67, and caveolin-1 was performed in samples of paraffin-embedded prostate cancer from 119 Japanese patients. The clinicopathologic significance of staining with these markers was analyzed in relation to biochemical failure (prostate-specific antigen [PSA] >0.

The potential role of prebiopsy magnetic resonance imaging combined with prostate-specific antigen density in the detection of prostate cancer.

Aim: Two-thirds of patients with a gray-zone prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level undergo unnecessary biopsy. Sensitivity is not yet sufficient to permit the use of modified PSA parameters or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging alone for prostate cancer screening. Thus, we evaluated the combination of MR imaging and PSA density (PSAD) for specificity and sensitivity.

Indications for extended 14-core transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy.

Objectives: We compared the cancer detection rate of extended 14-core biopsy with that of sextant biopsy to assess whether additional biopsy cores are useful for detection of prostate cancer and to clarify the indications for obtaining additional cores.

Methods: Study subjects were 313 patients who underwent transrectal ultrasound-guided 14-core biopsy because of a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level greater than 4.0 ng/mL and/or abnormalities found on digital rectal examination (DRE).

Functional consequences of various leucine mutations in the M3/M4 loop of the Na+,K +-ATPase alpha-Subunit.

Leucines were mutated within the sequence L311 ILGYTWLE319 of the extracellular loop flanking the third (M3) and fourth (M4) transmembrane segments (M3/M4 loop) of the Torpedo Na+,K+-ATPase alpha-subunit. Replacement of Leu311 with Glu resulted in a considerable loss of Na+,K+-ATPase activity. Replacement of Leu313 with Glu shifted the equilibrium of E1P and E2P toward E1P and reduced the rate of the E1P to E2P transition.

Dodecamer rotor ring defines H+/ATP ratio for ATP synthesis of prokaryotic V-ATPase from Thermus thermophilus.

ATP synthesis by V-ATPase from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus driven by the acid-base transition was investigated. The rate of ATP synthesis increased in parallel with the increase in proton motive force (PMF) >110 mV, which is composed of a difference in proton concentration (DeltapH) and the electrical potential differences (DeltaPsi) across membranes. The optimum rate of synthesis reached 85 s(-1), and the H(+)/ATP ratio of 4.

Influence of temperature and darkness on embryonic diapause termination in dormant Artemia cysts that have never been desiccated.

Environmental cues for embryonic diapause termination (EDT) were investigated in the laboratory-produced encysted dormant embryos of the brine shrimp, Artemia franciscana. The cysts were spawned and kept throughout in a 2% sea salt solution. They were activated by various temperatures of the temperate zones or by continuous dark condition (DD), resulting in a state of EDT, and were thereafter able to resume their subsequent development and hatch under appropriate conditions.

Calcite-specific coupling protein in barnacle underwater cement.

The barnacle relies for its attachment to underwater foreign substrata on the formation of a multiprotein complex called cement. The 20 kDa cement protein is a component of Megabalanus rosa cement, although its specific function in underwater attachment has not, until now, been known. The recombinant form of the protein expressed in bacteria was purified in soluble form under physiological conditions, and confirmed to retain almost the same structure as that of the native protein.

MRI-based preplanning in low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy.

Purpose: To compare the dosimetric results between MRI-based and TRUS-based preplanning in permanent prostate brachytherapy, and to estimate the accuracy of MRI-based preplanning by comparing with CT/MRI fusion-based postimplant dosimetry.

Methods And Materials: Twenty-one patients were entered in this prospective study with written informed consent. MRI-based and TRUS-based preplanning were performed.

Effect of edema on postimplant dosimetry in prostate brachytherapy using CT/MRI fusion.

Purpose: To investigate the time course of prostatic edema and the effect on the dose-volume histograms of the prostate for patients treated with brachytherapy.

Methods And Materials: A total of 74 patients with prostate cancer were enrolled in this prospective study. A transrectal ultrasound-based preplan was performed 4 weeks before implantation and computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging fusion-based postimplant dosimetry was performed on the day after implantation (Day 1) and 30 days after implantation (Day 30).

The role of Mycoplasma genitalium and Ureaplasma urealyticum biovar 2 in postgonococcal urethritis.

Background: There are few studies on coinfection with genital mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas in men with gonococcal urethritis (GU). The role of these species in postgonococcal urethritis (PGU) is poorly understood. Thus, we conducted a study to determine the prevalence of coinfection with genital mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas among men with GU and to assess the role of these pathogens in PGU.

Comparison of urethral diameters for calculating the urethral dose after permanent prostate brachytherapy.

Purpose: No studies have yet evaluated the effects of a dosimetric analysis for different urethral volumes. We therefore evaluated the effects of a dosimetric analysis to determine the different urethral volumes.

Methods: This study was based on computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (CT/MRI) combined findings in 30 patients who had undergone prostate brachytherapy.

Identification and functional characterization of a novel barnacle cement protein.

Barnacle attachment to various foreign materials in water is guided by an extracellular multiprotein complex. A 19 kDa cement protein was purified from the Megabalanus rosa cement, and its cDNA was cloned and sequenced. The gene was expressed only in the basal portion of the animal, where the histologically identified cement gland is located.