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 5.8 nm, whereas larger molecules rarely reach centrosomes, indicating the existence of a size-dependent diffusion barrier at centrosomes. The permeability of this barrier is tightly regulated by branched actin filaments outside of centrosomes and it decreases during anaphase when branched actin temporally increases. The actin-based diffusion barrier gates microtubule nucleation by interfering with γ-tubulin ring complex recruitment. We propose that actin filaments spatiotemporally constrain protein complexes at centrosomes in a size-dependent manner.

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. METHODS: We used the mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) for kidney cancer as a marker of clinical outcome to compare World Health Organization (WHO) country rankings and total expenditures on health/gross domestic product (e/GDP) using linear regression analyses. RESULTS: We included 57 countries based on data from the GLOBOCAN 2012 database. We found that more highly developed regions have higher crude and age-standardized rates of kidney cancer incidence and mortality, but a lower MIR, when compared to less developed regions. North America has the highest crude rates of incidence, but the lowest MIRs, whereas Africa has the highest MIRs. Furthermore, favorable MIRs are correlated with countries with good WHO rankings and high e/GDP expenditures (p < 0.001 and p = 0.013, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Kidney cancer MIRs are positively associated with the ranking of health care systems and health care expenditures.

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. In this study, osteoinductive peptides were extracted from oyster shells by using acetic acid. Two peptide-containing hydroxyapatite (HA) composite coatings were then prepared: one coating was prepared by hydrothermally synthesizing an HA coating in the presence of peptides (HA/P/M), and the other coating was prepared by hydrothermally synthesizing HA and then immersing the hydrothermally synthesized HA in a peptide solution (HA/P/S). Characterization results indicated that the composite HA coatings containing oyster shell-based peptides were successfully prepared on the alkali-treated pure titanium surfaces. The HA/P/M and HA/P/S composite coatings were found to exhibit excellent hydrophilicity. Protein adsorption tests confirmed that the HA/P/M and HA/P/S coatings had an approximately 2.3 times higher concentration of adsorbed proteins than the pure HA coating.

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. Results revealed that the Fe/Al system effectively inactivated E. coli to reach nearly 2 logs (99%) removal within 20 min and 4 logs (99.99%) at 24 h, indicating that the Fe/Al composite was able to sustain a long-term disinfection capacity. The inactivation ability resulted from hydroxyl radicals produced by a Fenton reaction through in-situ self-generated Fe2+ and H2O2 species in the Fe/Al system. In addition to the attack by the radicals, some of E. coli were adsorbed onto the Fe/Al composite (zeta potential of 30-50 mV) as a result of Coulomb interaction. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that the adsorbed bacteria had damaged pores at the two ends of their rod-like cells. This phenomenon suggested that a micro-electric field between the Fe/Al galvanic couple induced electroporation of the adsorbed E. coli and thus further advanced additional inactivation ability for the bacteria disinfection.

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. Urinary organic acids were separated in 11 min and were devoid of ascorbic acid interference. The detection limits (S/N>3) were at the nanomolar level with linear dynamic ranges spanning 2-3 orders of magnitude. Recoveries in urine ranged from 99.5% for creatinine to 86.5% for citric acid. The analytical variations (RSD) were less than 6.2% in phosphate buffer and 7.7% in urine. Important differences in organic acid levels/profiles between animal species and among normal and urolithic urines/urolith were unveiled and corresponded well (70-90%) with the urolithic risk in a retrospective assessment. The simplicity and reproducibility of this method using disposable Cu(n)-SPE has made routine urine analysis possible and can be of great clinical and diagnostic potential in the screening of urolithiasis and abnormal states related to excess secretion of organic acids and amino acids in humans and animals.

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. We detected protein and/or mRNA expression of aromatase B, brain lipid binding protein, connexin43 protein, glutamine synthetase, S100 protein and Sox2. These proteins/mRNAs are also expressed in fish tanycytes. GBC4 cells also contained oligodendroglia proteins, including A2B5, galactocerebroside, myelin basic protein, proteolipid protein and platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha as well as certain neuronal protein markers such as connexin35 protein and tyrosine hydroxylase. Our results indicate that GBC4 cells may be multipotent neural progenitor cells similar to tanycytes. Because GBC4 expresses several neural-specific genes, this line will be useful for studies on gene expression/regulation and neural development.

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 1.6-cm tumor without damaging the testis, epididymis or its accompanying vessels. Pathologic examination revealed SFG (discontinuous type). If clinically suspected before surgery, the diagnosis may be confirmed by Tc-99m sulfur colloid imaging, which shows uptake in both the spleen and accessory splenic tissue within the scrotum. Frozen section should be considered if there remains any doubt regarding the diagnosis during operation.

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. Retained surgical sponge in the pelvic cavity was suspected by abdominal computed tomography. The surgical gauze was removed by laparotomy excision and the final diagnosis was gossypiboma.

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. The ranking and the total expenditure on health of countries were obtained from the World Health Organization. Linear regression was used to estimate the significance between variables. We estimated the role of MIRs from 33 countries. Bladder cancer incidence and mortality rates were higher in more developed regions, Europe, and the Americas. The MIRs were higher in less developed regions. Analysis according to country revealed Germany to have the lowest MIR. High relative MIRs (female MIR/male MIR) for bladder cancer were noted in many developed countries. A correlation between MIR and health care disparities among countries was indicated by a significant association between the World Health Organization ranking and total expenditure on health/GDP with the MIR and relative MIR. Low bladder cancer MIR is prone to be more prevalent in countries with good health care system.

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. Our technique offers a powerful and versatile tool for using ultrasound to spatiotemporally manipulate the cellular physiology in living cells.

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. The rankings and total expenditures on health of various countries were obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO). The association between variables was analyzed by linear regression analyses. In this study, we estimated the role of MIRs from 35 countries that had a prostate cancer incidence greater than 5,000 cases per year. As expected, high prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates were observed in more developed regions, such as Europe and the Americas. However, the MIRs were 2.5 times higher in the less developed regions. Regarding the association between MIR and cancer care disparities, countries with good WHO ranking and high total expenditures on health/gross domestic product (GDP) were significant correlated with low MIR. The MIR variation for prostate cancer correlates with cancer care disparities among countries further support the role of cancer care disparities in clinical outcome.

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. The FDG PET/CT scans of this patient not only demonstrated the effectiveness of chemotherapy for prostate lymphoma but also the complications of a prostatorectal fistula and multiple infectious foci.

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. After 2-year follow up, there was no evidence of tumor recurrence, and graft function remained stable, with minimal hydronephrosis. Transplant physicians should carefully monitor any signs of urinary cancers, especially in renal transplant recipients with history of analgesics. Also, aggressive surgical treatment is recommended for these patients to prolong survival.

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. Log rank testing was used to analyze statistical differences in the survival period among the three groups. RESULTS: The distribution of each group was 25.6% (n = 80) in group 1, 55.8% (n = 174) in group 2 and 18.6% (n = 58) in group 3. The mean tumor size was 5.0 cm in group 1, 7.5 cm in group 2 and 8.3 cm in group 3 (p < 0.0001). The incidence of earlier stage (stages I and II) was 80% in group 1, 40.2% in group 2 and 15.5% in group 3 (p < 0.0001). The 10-year survival rate for group 1 patients was 68.6%, for group 2 patients was 45.6% and for group 3 patients was 12.3% (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The incidental RCCs were smaller in size and at a lower tumor stage than symptomatic tumors. The paraneoplastic syndromes in patients with RCCs had a grave prognosis. The symptoms of a patient with RCC can be used as a prognostic factor related to survival.

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. The first group was composed of patients for detection of recurrence of TCC of the urinary bladder in follow-up check. The second group consisted of patients who had microscopic or gross hematuria. The third group was volunteers. A urine sample was obtained from every enrolled patient. Followed by cystourethroscopy, the urine cytoloy, urine analysis and NMP 22 were performed respectively. A receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was constructed to determine NMP22 cutoff value for optimal sensitivity and specificity to detect bladder tumor. The data was then analyzed with Student-t test. RESULTS: ROC curve showed an optimal value of greater than 10 units per mL in differentiating positive from negative results. The sensitivity of NMP22 was 91.7% (22/24) and the specificity was 72.1% (49/68) in detection of TCC. The sensitivity and specificity of cytology were 37.5% (9/24) and 97.1% (66/68), respectively. The positive predictive values of NMP22 and cytology were 53.7% and 81.8%, individually. The false-positive rate of NMP22 was 27.9%. More sensitivity was observed in the NMP22 test with regards to high-grade and advanced-stage tumors. CONCLUSIONS: NMP22 is a highly sensitive tumor marker. However, high false positive rate and unsatisfactory positive predictive value are the drawbacks of this new tumor marker assay. There is inadequate evidence to consider total replacement of cytology with NMP22. But combination of NMP22 and cytology could be the most complete way to avoid unnecessary cystoscopic surveillance.

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. The recorded clinical follow-up, pathological staging and treatment of these patients were reviewed. Disease progression is defined as progressive elevation of the serum PSA value and proved by transrectal needle biopsy of the prostate or the appearance of metastatic disease. All original surgical pathology material from each patient was reviewed by a single pathologist and graded by the Gleason system. RESULTS: The mean age of patients with T1a prostate cancer at diagnosis was 71.5 +/- 7 years old. During the median follow-up of 7.3 years (range, 0.5 to 15 years), four patients (7.7%) developed disease progression. Twenty-one patients died due to other causes and no patient died due to prostate cancer. It was statistically significant that the patient with pathological Gleason score > or = 5 had positive correlation with disease progression. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical course of stage T1a prostate cancer is variable. The presence of Gleason score > or = 5 in pathological report is usually associated with cancer progression. More aggressive treatment including radical prostatectomy or local radiotherapy is advised in those selected high risk patients with a long life expectancy. Patients with tumor Gleason score < 5 have a low risk of disease progression and can be managed conservatively; but they should remain under observation indefinitely.

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. A list-mode dynamic data acquisition with diuresis intravenous injection revealed linear FDG activity extending from the upper-left portion of the bladder to a soft tissue mass in the lower-left pelvic region. An enterovesical fistula was confirmed by surgery.

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. However, the glue material subsequently fell into the ureter where it became a foreign body, resulting in obstructive uropathy. Several surgical interventions, including endoscopic and laparoscopic methods, were performed to retrieve the foreign body, but these attempts were unsuccessful. Finally, the glue material was spontaneously passed out by chance. To the best of our knowledge, this type of complication (a glue particle left over from an embolization procedure migrating into the urinary collecting system) has never been reported. We recommend close follow-up examinations after transarterial embolization for renal pseudoaneurysm in order to avoid possible obstructive uropathy caused by glue materials or coils.

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. This study was undertaken to determine the extent of endopolyploidy in different tissues of the diploid and tetraploid genotypes of Phalaenopsis aphrodite subsp. formosana and to examine the factors that contribute to increased ploidy levels. Endopolyploidy occurs in various tissues of diploid and tetraploid orchids, at different developmental stages and under different culture conditions, as determined by flow cytometry. In this study, different patterns of endopolyploidy were observed in parts of the protocorms, leaves, roots and flowers. Endopolyploidy was found in all tissues studied except the pollinia and the tetraploid ovaries. A higher degree of endopolyploidy was observed in mature tissues compared to young tissues, greenhouse-grown plants compared to in vitro plants and diploid plants compared to tetraploid plants. We discuss the relationships between endopolyploidization and several factors related to plant growth, as well as some practical considerations of these findings.

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. To understand the impact of Ras over-expression on bladder cancer progression, human bladder cancer TSGH 8301 cells were transfected with Ras DNA. The Ras-transfected cells were then treated with either a PI-3K inhibitor (wortmannin) or Rho kinase inhibitor (Y-27632) and the expressions of Ras, PI-3K, Akt, NF-kappaB, and RhoA were analyzed. Fluorescent phalloidin staining demonstrated more intense F-actin staining in the Ras over-expressed cells than in the control cells, and the intensity of F-actin was inhibited by Y-27632. A gelatin zymography study demonstrated that the MMP-2 and MMP-9 expressions of the Ras-transfected cells were enhanced, and Y-27632 treatment reduced the levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Similarly, a wound healing assay revealed that the ability of cell migration was markedly increased by Ras transfection and the healing rate after treatment of Y-27632 was delayed. Our results provide evidence that Ras-induced RhoA and NF-kappaB activation was involved in the invasion/migration of bladder cancer. Through Ras and/or RhoA inhibition, there might be an opportunity for new therapeutic interventions in bladder cancer.