Endometriosis and cancer.

Endometriosis, characterized by the presence of extra-uterine endometrium, is a common gynecologic disorder in reproductive-age women. Although the detailed molecular mechanism of etiology remains unelucidated, recent studies have gradually revealed both genetic and epigenetic backgrounds of the development of endometriosis. In clinical practice, endometriosis has been recognized as a precursor lesion of several types of malignancies and endometriosis-associated carcinoma.

Autotaxin and soluble IL-2 receptor concentrations in cerebrospinal fluids are useful for the diagnosis of central nervous system invasion caused by haematological malignancies.

Background: Invasion of the central nervous system by haematological malignancies is diagnosed by cytological analyses of cerebrospinal fluid or diagnostic imaging, while quantitative biomarkers for central nervous system invasion are not available and needed to be developed.

Methods: In this study, we measured the concentrations of autotaxin and soluble IL-2 receptor in cerebrospinal fluid and evaluated their usefulness as biomarkers for central nervous system invasion.

Results: We observed that both the autotaxin and soluble IL-2 receptor concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid were higher in subjects with central nervous system invasion than in those without, and the cerebrospinal fluid concentrations were independent from the serum concentrations of these biomarkers.

2,4,5,7,9,10-Hexaethynylpyrenes: Synthesis, Properties, and Self-Assembly.

A series of 2,4,5,7,9,10-hexaethynylpyrenes was synthesized using 2,7,9,10-tetrabromopyrene-4,5-dione as the key intermediate. The effects of the position and number of the ethynyl groups on the physicochemical properties of the corresponding pyrenes were clarified by comparison with 4,5,9,10-tetraethynylpyrene and 2,7-diethynylpyrene derivatives. The prepared hexaethynylpyrenes that bear benzene moieties self-assemble via π-π stacking in solution and/or the condensed phase.

The 1b gene of raspberry bushy dwarf virus is a virulence component that facilitates systemic virus infection in plants.

A product translated from the 1b gene of raspberry bushy dwarf virus (RBDV) was specifically detected in RBDV-infected Nicotiana benthamiana plants by immunoblot analysis. To analyze the effects of the 1b gene on virus infection in host plants, an RBDV deletion mutant virus (RB∆1bstop), which is unable to express the 1b gene, was constructed and inoculated to N. benthamiana plants.

PAI-1 secreted from metastatic ovarian cancer cells triggers the tumor-promoting role of the mesothelium in a feedback loop to accelerate peritoneal dissemination.

The mesothelium, covered by a continuous monolayer of mesothelial cells, is the first protective barrier against metastatic ovarian cancer. However, mesothelial cells release tumor-promoting factors that accelerate the process of peritoneal metastasis. We identified cancer-associated mesothelial cells (CAMs) that had tumor-promoting potential.

Drug-drug interactions among drugs prescribed for nontuberculous mycobacterial infection and epilepsy: A case report.

What Is Known And Objective: Multi-drug combinations often make chemotherapy difficult owing to drug-drug interactions (DDIs). We report a rare and difficult-to-treat case due to DDIs between drugs for Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection and antiepileptic drugs.

Case Description: A 70-year-old Japanese woman was diagnosed as having pulmonary MAC disease.

Clinicopathological characteristics and renal outcomes of childhood-onset lupus nephritis with acute kidney injury: A multicenter study.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) at onset of adult systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a risk factor for end stage kidney disease (ESKD). However, data on childhood-onset lupus nephritis (LN) with AKI are scarce. We retrospectively reviewed the complete files of pediatric SLE patients from 1995 to 2010.

Lisinopril versus lisinopril and losartan for mild childhood IgA nephropathy: a randomized controlled trial (JSKDC01 study).

Background: Persistent proteinuria seems to be a risk factor for progression of renal disease. Its reduction by angiotensin-converting inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) is renoprotective. Our previous pilot study showed that 2-year lisinopril therapy is effective and safe for children with mild IgA nephropathy.

Study protocol: high-dose mizoribine with prednisolone therapy in short-term relapsing steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome to prevent frequent relapse (JSKDC05 trial).

Background: Eighty percent of children with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) relapse within 2 years and 40-50% patients show frequently-relapsing nephrotic syndrome (FRNS). Patients showing a relapse within 6 months after initial remission are at high risk of FRNS. Since frequent prednisolone treatment for FRNS induces severe prednisolone side effects, development of a treatment to prevent patients from shifting to FRNS is desirable.

Gentian (Gentiana triflora) prevents transmission of apple latent spherical virus (ALSV) vector to progeny seeds.

Gentian plants ( Gentiana triflora ) severely restrict apple latent spherical virus (ALSV) invasion to the gametes (pollens and ovules) and block seed transmission to progeny plants. Early flowering of horticultural plants can be induced by infection of ALSV vector expressing Flowering Locus T (FT) gene. In the present study, flowering of gentian plants was induced by infection with an ALSV vector expressing a gentian FT gene and the patterns of seed transmission of ALSV in gentian were compared with those in apple and Nicotiana benthamiana.

TGFBI-associated corneal dystrophy and nephropathy: a novel syndrome?

Transforming growth factor beta-induced (TGFBI)-associated corneal dystrophies are a group of inherited progressive corneal diseases. One of these TGFBI-associated corneal dystrophies is Avellino corneal dystrophy, an autosomal dominant corneal dystrophy characterized by multiple asymmetric stromal opacities that potentially impair vision. Recently, a case with corneal dystrophy complicated by nephropathy possessing a pathogenic variant of the TGFBI gene was reported for the first time.

Reproductive outcomes of 105 malignant ovarian germ cell tumor survivors: a multicenter study.

Background: Malignant ovarian germ cell tumors usually occur in young women. Until the 1970s, before establishment of systemic chemotherapy, malignant ovarian germ cell tumors had a very poor prognosis. Recently, prognosis has improved, and fertility-sparing treatment is being adopted in patients who desire to become pregnant.

Combination therapy with or without warfarin and dipyridamole for severe childhood IgA nephropathy: an RCT.

Background: Two previous randomized controlled trials showed that treatment of severe childhood immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy using prednisolone with azathioprine, heparin-warfarin, or dipyridamole prevented the increase of sclerosed glomeruli. Prednisolone alone, however, did not prevent further increase. These studies indicated the importance of immunosuppressants in the treatment.

Ion Channels Regulate Nyctinastic Leaf Opening in Samanea saman.

The circadian leaf opening and closing (nyctinasty) of Fabaceae has attracted scientists' attention since the era of Charles Darwin. Nyctinastic movement is triggered by the alternate swelling and shrinking of motor cells at the base of the leaf. This, in turn, is facilitated by changing osmotic pressures brought about by ion flow through anion and potassium ion channels.

Detoxification Mechanism of α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds in Cigarette Smoke Observed in Sheep Erythrocytes.

Highly reactive α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, such as acrolein (ACR), crotonaldehyde (CA) and methyl vinyl ketone (MVK), are environmental pollutants present in high concentrations in cigarette smoke. We have previously found that these carbonyl compounds in cigarette smoke extract (CSE) react with intracellular glutathione (GSH) to produce the corresponding GSH-ACR, GSH-CA and GSH-MVK adducts via Michael addition reaction. These adducts are then further reduced to the corresponding alcohol forms by intracellular aldo-keto reductases in highly metastatic mouse melanoma (B16-BL6) cells and then excreted into the extracellular fluid.

Fertility-sparing surgery of malignant transformation arising from mature cystic teratoma of the ovary.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term clinical outcome of young women with malignant transformation arising from mature cystic teratoma of the ovary (MT-MCT) by comparing radical surgery and fertility-sparing surgery (FSS).

Patients And Methods: All patients treated with radical surgery or FSS for MT-MCT in multiple institutions were registered in this analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate clinical outcome, including overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

The upregulated expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in surgically treated patients with recurrent/radioresistant cervical cancer of the uterus.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors have been utilized for the treatment against advanced or recurrent cervical carcinoma as a novel therapeutic modality. However, the expression level of VEGF in post-radiotherapy relapsed/persistent cervical cancer remains to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of VEGF and associated molecules using tumor samples from patients with post-radiotherapy relapsed/persistent cervical cancer.

Combining probabilistic alignments with read pair information improves accuracy of split-alignments.

Motivation: Split-alignments provide base-pair-resolution evidence of genomic rearrangements. In practice, they are found by first computing high-scoring local alignments, parts of which are then combined into a split-alignment. This approach is challenging when aligning a short read to a large and repetitive reference, as it tends to produce many spurious local alignments leading to ambiguities in identifying the correct split-alignment.

Invasion-inhibiting Effects of Gaseous Components in Cigarette Smoke on Mouse Rectal Carcinoma Colon-26 Cells.

We investigated the anti-metastatic action of nicotine- and tar-removed cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on highly metastatic mouse Colon-26 cells using syngeneic BALB/c mice. Colon-26 cells were injected into the spleen of mice, cells were grown in the spleen as the primary lesion, and some metastasized from the spleen to liver and established a metastatic lesion. CSE (10, 30, and 100%) was intraperitoneally administered daily to the mice for 14 days after tumor inoculation.

Trithiazolyl-1,3,5-triazines bearing decyloxybenzene moieties: synthesis, photophysical and electrochemical properties, and self-assembly behavior.

We report the synthesis, photophysical properties, redox characteristics, and self-assembly behavior of disk-shaped trithiazolyl-1,3,5-triazines that bear decyloxybenzene moieties. These compounds were synthesized by a Migita-Kosugi-Stille coupling reaction of 1,3,5-trichlorotriazine with three different tributyltin(thiazoles) as the key step. The structure-property relationships, namely the effects of the incorporation of thiazole units into the triazine unit, the conjugation connectivity between the thiazole and triazine units, and the insertion of ethynylene spacers between the thiazole and decyloxybenzene moieties on the properties of the trithiazolyl-1,3,5-triazines were comprehensively investigated.

Genomic Displacement and Shift of the Hybrid Zone in the Japanese Fire-Bellied Newt.

Hybridizations on a secondary contact zone between 2 diverged lineages can have various evolutionary consequences, including the genetic replacement of one lineage by another. We detected such a case between 2 lineages (the Central and Western lineages) of the Japanese fire-bellied newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster in the Chugoku district of western Japan. We genotyped 269 individuals from 30 localities using the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and 11 microsatellite loci.

Stress Evolution of Amorphous Thermoplastic Plate during Forming Process.

Amorphous thermoplastics, as a type of engineering plastic material, are used in various industrial sectors. In order to manufacture high-performance products, it is important to optimize their forming process to mitigate residual stresses. However, stress in a plate is difficult to measure, therefore, modeling provides a powerful way to investigate and understand the evolution of stress.

Improved apple latent spherical virus-induced gene silencing in multiple soybean genotypes through direct inoculation of agro-infiltrated extract.

Background: Virus induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a powerful genomics tool for interrogating the function of plant genes. Unfortunately, VIGS vectors often produce disease symptoms that interfere with the silencing phenotypes of target genes, or are frequently ineffective in certain plant genotypes or tissue types. This is especially true in crop plants like soybean [ (L.

Cigarette Smoke Extract Disrupts Transcriptional Activities Mediated by Thyroid Hormones and Its Receptors.

Cigarette smoke contains over 4800 compounds, including at least 200 toxicants or endocrine disruptors. Currently, effects of cigarette smoke on thyroid hormone (TH) levels remains to be clarified. Here, we demonstrate that cigarette smoke extract (CSE) possesses thyroid hormone properties and acts synergistically as a partial agonist for thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) in the presence of TH.