Ethanol treatment of nanoPGA/PCL composite scaffolds enhances human chondrocyte development in the cellular microenvironment of tissue-engineered auricle constructs.

A major obstacle for tissue engineering ear-shaped cartilage is poorly developed tissue comprising cell-scaffold constructs. To address this issue, bioresorbable scaffolds of poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) and polyglycolic acid nanofibers (nanoPGA) were evaluated using an ethanol treatment step before auricular chondrocyte scaffold seeding, an approach considered to enhance scaffold hydrophilicity and cartilage regeneration. Auricular chondrocytes were isolated from canine ears and human surgical samples discarded during otoplasty, including microtia reconstruction.

Use of sliced or minced peripheral nerve segments for nerve regeneration through a biodegradable nerve conduit: A preliminary study in the rat.

Background: Using the rat sciatic nerve model, the difference in outcome using a nerve segment either sliced open or minced with a blade incorporated into a nerve conduit were compared and the relative effects upon the rate and completeness of the nerve regeneration was determined.

Materials And Methods: A 10-mm gap was created in the rat sciatic nerve and bridged with a biodegradable nerve conduit. Segments of the resected nerve (2-mm lengths) were prepared by either slicing the nerve with one longitudinal cut or by scalpel mincing of the nerve tissue, with insertion of the prepared nerve segment into the center of the conduit.

Differential Cross Section and Photon-Beam Asymmetry for the γ[over →]p → π^{-}Δ^{++}(1232) Reaction at Forward π^{-} Angles for E_{γ}=1.5-2.95  GeV.

Differential cross sections and photon-beam asymmetries for the γ[over →]p→π^{-}Δ^{++}(1232) reaction have been measured for 0.7 View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Interference Effect between ϕ and Λ(1520) Production Channels in the γp→K^{+}K^{-}p Reaction near Threshold.

The ϕ-Λ(1520) interference effect in the γp→K^{+}K^{-}p reaction has been measured for the first time in the energy range from 1.673 to 2.173 GeV.

Rare renal ciliopathies in non-consanguineous families that were identified by targeted resequencing.

Background: Nephronophthisis-related ciliopathies (NPHP-RC) are a frequent cause of renal failure for children and adolescents. Although diagnosing these diseases clinically is difficult, a comprehensive genetic screening approach of targeted resequencing can uncover the genetic background in this complicated family of diseases.

Methods: We studied three Japanese female patients with renal insufficiency from non-consanguineous parents.

Pathogenesis of hypokalemia in autosomal dominant hypocalcemia type 1.

Background: Autosomal dominant hypocalcemia type 1 (ADH1) is a relatively rare endocrine disorder characterized by hypocalcemia and inadequate parathyroid hormone secretion. ADH is caused by activating mutations in the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) gene, CASR. CaSR plays a crucial role in calcium and magnesium homeostasis in the kidney.

Gli regulates MUC5AC transcription in human gastrointestinal cells.

MUC5AC is a well-known gastric differentiation marker, which has been frequently used for the classification of stomach cancer. Immunohistochemistry revealed that expression of MUC5AC decreases accompanied with increased malignant property of gastric mucosa, which further suggests the importance of MUC5AC gene regulation. Alignment of the 5'-flanking regions of MUC5AC gene of 13 mammal species denoted high homology within 200 bp upstream of the coding region.

Lumican binds ALK5 to promote epithelium wound healing.

Lumican (Lum), a small leucine-rich proteoglycan (SLRP) family member, has multiple matricellular functions both as an extracellular matrix component and as a matrikine regulating cell proliferation, gene expression and wound healing. To date, no cell surface receptor has been identified to mediate the matrikine functions of Lum. This study aimed to identify a perspective receptor that mediates Lum effects on promoting wound healing.

Multiple cerebral aneurysms with persistent primitive trigeminal artery.

We report a patient with a persistent primitive trigeminal artery (PPTA) detected incidentally during cerebral angiography for the ruptured aneurysm. Cerebral angiography revealed a PPTA and eight anterior circulation cerebral aneurysms. Although cerebrovascular fragility, hemodynamic stress and hypertension are well known as etiologic factors for development of cerebral aneurysms, there is a known association of aneurysms with a PPTA, fetal carotid-basilar anastomosis.

Clonality of the parathyroid nodules with uremic parathyroid hyperplasia.

Clonal assessment suggests that most parathyroid adenomas and a subset of uremic parathyroid hyperplasia are monoclonal. A weakness that remains in the prior clonal studies is assessing the clonal status of the tissue fragments containing multiple nodules rather than a single nodule emerging in the uremic parathyroid hyperplasia. We applied the X chromosome-linked phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) gene inactivation assay method for clonality to study individual nodules.

Intestinal Behçet's disease: epidemiology, pathophysiology and potential of mesalazine.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a systemic inflammatory disease of unknown origin that affects various parts of the body. In some patients, the prognosis of the disease appears to be altered by the involvement of the intestine (intestinal BD). In intestinal BD, deep ulcers develop in the gastrointestinal tract, typically in the ileocaecum.

Medial medullary syndrome with contralateral face hypalgesia: a report of two cases.

Classically, patients with unilateral medial medullary syndromes show contralateral deep sensory loss, contralateral hemiparesis, and ipsilateral tongue paralysis. We encountered two patients with medial medullary syndromes showing hypalgesia of the contralateral face. Both patients had contralateral deep sensory loss and hemiparesis, but no hypoglossal nerve palsy, so it was difficult to establish a medial medullary syndrome from the clinical neurological signs alone.

Hyalinizing trabecular tumor of the thyroid gland: characteristic features on ultrasonography.

We report a case of hyalinizing trabecular tumor of the thyroid gland and describe the characteristic ultrasonographic features of this tumor. This was a rare tumor of follicular cell origin with a trabecular pattern of growth and marked intratrabecular hyalinization. The tumor had an irregular shape, a delicately jagged border, and hypoechoic and heterogeneous internal echoes on B-mode ultrasonography.

Brachytherapy technique for abdominal wall metastases of colorectal cancer: ultrasound-guided insertion of applicator needle and a skin preservation method.

Purpose: To report a technique of interstitial brachytherapy for the treatment of subcutaneous metastatic abdominal wall tumors.

Material And Methods: We developed a brachytherapy technique consisting of ultrasound-guided insertion of applicator needles to avoid the organs at risk, such as intestines, and saline injection into the subcutaneous tissue between the tumor and the skin to decrease the skin dose. We encountered three patients with painful metastases from rectal carcinoma in the abdominal wall refractory to external radiotherapy.

A fast placement technique for covered tracheobronchial stents in patients with complicated esophagorespiratory fistulas.

Purpose: To test an endotracheal placement procedure for malignant esophagorespiratory fistula when endoesophageal placement is inapplicable.

Methods: We report on patients with malignant esophagorespiratory fistula to which endoesophageal approaches were complicated with a complete obstruction of the hypopharynx, a collapsible tracheobronchus, or a previously placed endoesophageal stents. Gore-Tex membrane-covered Z-stents were deployed in the trachea using a coaxial introducer system in three patients.

Multiplex PCR genotyping assay that distinguishes between isolates of Clostridium perfringens type A carrying a chromosomal enterotoxin gene (cpe) locus, a plasmid cpe locus with an IS1470-like sequence, or a plasmid cpe locus with an IS1151 sequence.

Clostridium perfringens type A isolates carrying the enterotoxin (cpe) gene are important causes of both food poisoning and non-food-borne diarrheas in humans. In North America and Europe, food poisoning isolates were previously shown to carry a chromosomal cpe gene, while non-food-borne gastrointestinal (GI) disease isolates from those two geographic locations were found to have a plasmid cpe gene. In this report, we describe the development of an economical multiplex PCR cpe genotyping assay that works with culture lysates to distinguish among type A isolates carrying a chromosomal cpe gene, a plasmid cpe gene with a downstream IS1470-like sequence, or a plasmid cpe gene with a downstream IS1151 sequence.

Genetic variants of calcitonin receptor and breast cancer in Japanese.

Calcitonin (CT) inhibits the growth of human breast cancer cell lines and calcitonin receptor (CTR) is expressed in breast cancer lines and breast cancer tissue. In this study, the allele frequencies of the CTR gene were compared in the peripheral blood and tumour from 46 breast cancer patients with 50 peripheral blood samples from Japanese women. The allele frequencies of CTR gene did not differ between them.

[Roles of beta-catenin overexpression and adenomatous polyposis coli mutation in head and neck cancer].

Beta-catenin is an undercoat protein of cadherin, a cellular adhesion molecule. Beta-catenin also functions as a transcriptional activator downstream of the Wnt signaling pathway. Intracellular beta-catenin is regulated by the formation of a complex with APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) protein.

Progressive systemic sclerosis-polymyositis overlap syndrome with eosinophilic pleural effusion.

Pleural fluid rarely occurs in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) or polymyositis (PM) with no lesions in the pulmonary area. Pleural fluids in patients with autoimmune diseases are mostly dominated by monocytes and lymphocytes but very rarely contain increased eosinophils. We report a 55-year-old male with PSS-PM overlap syndrome and eosinophilic pleural effusion.

Mexiletine differentially modulates vasorelaxation mediated by adenosine triphosphate-sensitive K+ channels in aortas from normotensive and hypertensive rats.

Unlabelled: The modification of vasodilation through adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive K(+) channels induced by antiarrhythmic drugs has not been studied in chronic hypertension. We designed the present study to examine whether mexiletine modulates vasorelaxation via these channels in hypertensive rat aortas. Normotensive and hypertensive rat aortas without endothelium were suspended for isometric force recording.

A stepwise transcervical resection of a large uterine myoma after vaginal delivery.

Case Report: This study reported a stepwise (4-times) transcervical resection (TCR) performed on a patient with a large uterine myoma. The patient (36 years old) was at 6 weeks of pregnancy when at the first medical examination a uterine myoma, as large as the head of newborn infant, was discovered. After the delivery, myomectomy was performed by way of conserving the uterine.

Plasma hepatocyte growth factor levels after open heart surgery for congenital heart disease.

Background: Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a polypeptide which acts protectively against endothelial cell dysfunction. A high plasma level of HGF is shown when the endothelium is injured. We measured plasma HGF levels during and after open heart operations for congenital heart disease, to elucidate its involvement with endothelial cell injury.

Ketamine stereoselectively affects vasorelaxation mediated by ATP-sensitive K(+) channels in the rat aorta.

Background: The effect of ketamine on vasodilation mediated by adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive K(+) channels has not been studied. The present study was designed to determine whether ketamine might stereoselectively affect vasorelaxation induced by an ATP-sensitive K(+) channel opener in the isolated rat aorta.

Methods: Rings of the rat aorta with or without endothelium were suspended for isometric force recording.

Thymidine phosphorylase and breast carcinoma.

Thymidine phosphorylase (TP), also known as platelet-derived endothelial-cell growth factor (PD-ECGF), is an enzyme that catalyzes the reversible dephosphorylation of thymidine, deoxyguridine and their analogs. TP also has angiogenic properties, although the precise mechanism by which it promotes angiogenesis is not known. TP expression is elevated in many solid tumors including ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma of the breast.