Nanohydroxyapatite/Peptide Composite Coatings on Pure Titanium Surfaces with Nanonetwork Structures Using Oyster Shells.

Titanium and its alloys are extensively applied in artificial tooth roots because of their excellent corrosion resistance, high specific strength, and low elastic modulus. However, because of their biological inertness, their surface needs to be modified to improve the osteointegration of titanium implants. The preparation of biologically active calcium-phosphorus coatings on the surface of an implant is one effective method for enhancing the likelihood of bone integration.

Actin filaments form a size-dependent diffusion barrier around centrosomes.

The centrosome, a non-membranous organelle, constrains various soluble molecules locally to execute its functions. As the centrosome is surrounded by various dense components, we hypothesized that it may be bordered by a putative diffusion barrier. After quantitatively measuring the trapping kinetics of soluble proteins of varying size at centrosomes by a chemically inducible diffusion trapping assay, we find that centrosomes are highly accessible to soluble molecules with a Stokes radius of less than 5.

Inactivation of Escherichia coli by dual-functional zerovalent Fe/Al composites in water.

A bimetallic Fe/Al disinfection system was developed to examine the feasibility of inactivation of water borne microorganisms. In this study, the effectiveness and mechanisms of the bimetallic Fe/Al system on the inactivation of model bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli), were investigated.

Favorable mortality-to-incidence ratios of kidney Cancer are associated with advanced health care systems.

Background: The advancements in cancer therapy have improved the clinical outcomes of cancer patients in recent decades. However, advanced cancer therapy is expensive and requires good health care systems. For kidney cancer, no studies have yet established an association between clinical outcome and health care disparities.

Manipulating Cellular Activities Using an Ultrasound-Chemical Hybrid Tool.

We developed an ultrasound-chemical hybrid tool to precisely manipulate cellular activities. A focused ultrasound coupled with gas-filled microbubbles was used to rapidly trigger the influx of membrane-impermeable chemical dimerizers into living cells to regulate protein dimerization and location without inducing noticeable toxicity. With this system, we demonstrated the successful modulation of phospholipid metabolism triggered by a short pulse of ultrasound exposure.

The gender difference and mortality-to-incidence ratio relate to health care disparities in bladder cancer: National estimates from 33 countries.

The variation in the mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) between countries and genders reflects the complex etiology and intervention of bladder cancer. In this study, we investigated the MIR variation between genders and health care disparities among countries. Cancer incidence and mortality were obtained from the GLOBOCAN 2012 database.

Prostate Cancer Mortality-To-Incidence Ratios Are Associated with Cancer Care Disparities in 35 Countries.

The variation in mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs) among countries reflects the clinical outcomes and the available interventions for colorectal cancer treatments. The association between MIR of prostate cancer and cancer care disparities among countries is an interesting issue that is rarely investigated. For the present study, cancer incidence and mortality rates were obtained from the GLOBOCAN 2012 database.

Prostate Lymphoma Complicated With Prostatorectal Fistula and Multifocal Infection After Chemotherapy.

A 67-year-old man with a biopsy proving prostate diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was referred for an F-FDG PET/CT scan for postchemotherapy treatment monitoring. The FDG PET/CT scan revealed a significant reduction of prostate lymphoma and a prostatorectal fistula formation. The patient developed Klebsiella pneumoniae sepsis, and a follow-up FDG PET/CT 3 months later revealed multifocal lung, bone, and muscle infection.

Dynamic FDG PET/CT imaging with diuresis demonstrates an enterovesical fistula in a lymphoma patient with repeated colon diverticulitis.

A 43-year-old male patient with follicular B-cell lymphoma was referred for a FDG PET/CT scan due to severe left lower abdominal pain to rule out recurrent cancer. These FDG PET/CT images and previous FDG PET/CT images 5 months ago both revealed an air bubble in the urinary bladder on the CT images. He had a recurrent urinary tract infection history for 6 months.

Foreign body in the ureter: a particle of glue after transarterial embolization of a renal pseudoaneurysm during percutaneous nephrostomy.

Reports on foreign bodies within the ureter are extremely rare in the literature. Herein, we present a case of a foreign body in a ureter, specifically a particle of glue resulting from transarterial embolization of a renal pseudoaneurysm secondary to percutaneous nephrostomy. Emergent transarterial embolization was required due to life-threatening active bleeding of the pseudoaneurysm.

Changes in the endopolyploidy pattern of different tissues in diploid and tetraploid Phalaenopsis aphrodite subsp. formosana (Orchidaceae).

Endopolyploidy is frequently observed during development in plant species. Patterns of endopolyploidy are diverse in the various organs of different plant species. However, little is known about the role of endopolyploidization and its significance in orchids.

The suppressive effect of Rho kinase inhibitor, Y-27632, on oncogenic Ras/RhoA induced invasion/migration of human bladder cancer TSGH cells.

Urothelial cell carcinoma is the most common type of malignancy found in long-term dialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients in Taiwan. Surgical specimens of tumorous and non-tumorous bladder tissues were collected from 12 patients with bladder cancer. Increased expressions of Ras, RhoA, Akt, PI-3K were demonstrated in the tumors as compared to adjacent control tissues.

Multiple screening of urolithic organic acids with copper nanoparticle-plated electrode: potential assessment of urolithic risks.

There is yet to be a reliable prediction of urolithiasis. To facilitate early diagnosis, a simple and rapid high performance liquid chromatography method with electrochemical detection using disposable copper-nanoparticle-plated electrodes (Cu(n)-SPE) was developed for multiple detection of creatinine and 4 urolithic organic acids. A total of 206 normal and urolithic human and canine urines and urolith samples were collected for direct analysis of creatinine, cystine, uric acid, oxalic acid, and citric acid without sample cleanup and derivatization processes.

Immunochemical and molecular characterization of GBC4 as a tanycyte-like cell line derived from grouper brain.

A clonal cell line, GBC4, derived from grouper (Epinephelus coioides) brain is proposed to represent an immature astroglial cell line because it expresses glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), cytokeratin and vimentin. In teleost brain, tanycytes are the most abundant GFAP-expressing cell type, suggesting that GBC4 cells are derived from tanycytes. To test this hypothesis, protein and mRNA expression profiles of GBC4 cells were evaluated.

Splenogonadal fusion.

Splenogonadal fusion (SGF) is a rare congenital non-malignant anomaly characterized by fusion of splenic tissue to the gonad, and can be continuous or discontinuous. Very few cases have been diagnosed preoperatively, and many patients who present with testicular swelling undergo unnecessary orchiectomy under the suspicion of testicular neoplasm. A 16-year-old boy presented with a left scrotal mass and underwent total excision of a 1.

Effect of single botulinum toxin A injection to the external urethral sphincter for treating detrusor external sphincter dyssynergia in spinal cord injury.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a single cystoscopic injection of botulinum toxin to the external urethral sphincter in treating detrusor external sphincter dyssynergia.

Design: An open treatment trial with pre- and post-treatment evaluations.

Subjects: A total of 20 suprasacral spinal cord injured patients with pure detrusor external sphincter dyssynergia.

Acute anal stretch inhibits NMDA-dependent pelvic-urethra reflex potentiation via spinal GABAergic inhibition in anesthetized rats.

The impact of acute anal stretch on the pelvic-urethra reflex potentiation was examined in urethane-anesthetized rats by recording the external urethra sphincter electromyogram activity evoked by the pelvic afferent stimulation. Test stimulation (1 stimulation/30 s) evoked a baseline reflex activity with a single action potential that was abolished by gallamine (5 mg/kg iv). On the other hand, the repetitive stimulation (1 stimulation/1 s) induced spinal reflex potentiation (SRP) that was attenuated by intrathecal 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,4-dione (a glutamatergic alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazoleproprionat receptor antagonist, 100 microM, 10 microl) and d-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate [a glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist, 100 microM, 10 microl].

Gossypiboma--retained surgical sponge.

Intra-abdominal retained surgical sponge is an uncommon surgical error. Herein, we report a 92-year-old woman who was brought to the emergency room for acute urinary retention. She had a history of vaginal hysterectomy for uterine prolapse 18 years previously, performed at our hospital.

Signal peptide of eosinophil cationic protein upregulates transforming growth factor-alpha expression in human cells.

Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is a major component of eosinophil granule protein that is used as a clinical bio-marker for asthma and allergic inflammatory diseases. Previously, it has been reported that the signal peptide of human ECP (ECPsp) inhibits the cell growth of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Pichia pastoris (P.

Activation of Rac1 by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in vivo: role in activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways and retinoic acid-induced neuronal differentiation of SH-SY5Y cells.

Rho GTPases such as RhoA, Rac1 and Cdc42 are crucial players in the regulation of signal transduction pathways required for neuronal differentiation. Using an in vitro cell culture model of neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells, we demonstrated previously that RhoA is an in vivo substrate of tissue transglutaminase (TGase) and retinoic acid (RA) promoted activation of RhoA by transamidation. Although activation of RhoA promoted cytoskeletal rearrangement in SH-SY5Y cells, it was not involved in induction of neurite outgrowth.

Urinary exenteration on a renal transplant recipient with multifocal urothelial cancers and prostatic adenocarcinoma.

The two cancers after renal transplantation (RTx) are transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) and hepatoma reported in Taiwan most frequently, versus lymphproliferative diseases and skin cancers in the Western literature. Herein, we present a 49-year-old man with spinal cord injury and end-stage renal disease who developed multifocal TCC in the urologic tract and incidental detection of prostatic adenocarcinoma 15 months after a cadaveric RTx. En bloc complete native urinary tract excision and ileal conduit urinary diversion were performed smoothly.

Evaluation of nuclear matrix protein-22 as a clinical diagnostic marker for bladder cancer.

Objectives: To evaluate prospectively the prognostic power of urinary nuclear matrix protein-22 (NMP-22) for bladder cancer in Taiwanese screening and surveillance settings.

Methods: Single voided urine samples were obtained from 68 healthy individuals, 303 patients with benign urothelial diseases, and 28 patients with urogenital tumors. The NMP-22 levels in the urine samples were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods.

The symptoms of renal cell carcinoma related to patients' survival.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare outcomes in patients presenting with incidental renal cell carcinoma (RCC), symptomatic RCC and paraneoplastic syndromes in RCC.

Methods: From October 1982 to June 2001, 312 patients with RCC were retrospectively enrolled. The patients were classified as: 1) incidental group: the patients without symptoms whose tumor was discovered incidentally; 2) symptomatic group: the patients presenting symptoms related to renal tumor; 3) paraneoplastic syndrome group: patients whose tumors were associated with paraneoplastic syndromes.

NMP22 in transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.

Background: Urinary bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is a common cancer encountered in the human urinary system. The detection of new and recurrent TCC of the urinary bladder was performed using nuclear matrix (NMP22) kit and compare to the urine cytology.

Methods: Ninety-two patients were included and divided to 3 groups.

Clinical outcome of patients with stage T1a prostate cancer.

Background: The prognosis and proper treatment of stage T1a prostate cancer remain unsettled. The aim of the study was to identify retrospectively some predictors of disease progression in stage T1a prostate cancer.

Methods: We reported on 52 patients with stage T1a prostate cancer diagnosed between 1983 and 1996 at Taichung Veterans General Hospital.