Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis

A 76-year-old woman presented with spiking fever and right back pain. Ultrasonography (US) revealed that her right kidney was enlarged. Computed tomography (CT) showed the parenchyma was replaced by non-enhancing masses but the overall kidney shape was maintained. These findings were compatible with those of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XP). The nonenhancing masses on CT coincided with the multiple butter yellow nodules of the resected kidney and microscopically these lesions were proved to be abscesses with xanthoma cells. In this case, the US and CT findings reflected the pathological feature of XP and thus these techniques are thought to be useful for the diagnosis of XP.     

Osteoclast-mediated bone resorption is stimulated during short-term administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor but is not responsible for hematopoietic progenitor cell mobilization

The cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) mobilization from bone marrow (BM) into peripheral blood after administration of cytokines such as granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) are still unknown. In this study we show that high concentrations of soluble calcium induce the detachment of BM CD34(+) HPC adherent on fibronectin, a major component of BM extracellular matrix. Because G-CSF has been shown to induce osteoporosis in patients with congenital neutropenia and in G-CSF-overexpressing transgenic mice, we hypothesized that short-term G-CSF administration may be sufficient to induce bone resorption, resulting in the release of soluble calcium in the endosteum leading in turn to the inhibition of attachment to fibronectin and the egress of HPC from the BM. We show herein that in humans, serum osteocalcin concentration, a specific marker of bone formation, is strongly reduced after 3 days of G-CSF administration. Furthermore, in patients mobilized with G-CSF either alone or in association with stem cell factor or interleukin-3, the reduction of serum osteocalcin is significantly correlated with the number of HPC mobilized in peripheral blood. Urine levels of deoxypyridinoline (DPyr), a specific marker of bone resorption, gradually elevated during the time course of G-CSF administration until day 7 after cessation of G-CSF, showing a simultaneous stimulation of bone degradation during G-CSF-induced HPC mobilization. In an in vivo murine model, we found that the number of osteoclasts was dramatically increased paralleling the elevation of DPyr after G-CSF administration. When pamidronate, an inhibitor of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, was administered together with G-CSF in mice, the G-CSF-induced increase of DPyr levels was completely abolished whereas the numbers of colony-forming cells mobilized in peripheral blood were not decreased, but unexpectedly increased relative to the numbers elicited by G-CSF alone. Collectively, our data therefore show that short-term administration of G-CSF induces bone degradation by a simultaneous inhibition of bone formation and an enhanced osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. This increased bone resorption is inhibited by pamidronate without reducing G-CSF-induced HPC mobilization, suggesting that the activation of bone resorption after G-CSF administration is not the direct cause of HPC mobilization as initially hypothesized, but a parallel event.     

Genetic Profiling of Malignant Melanoma Arising from an Ovarian Mature Cystic Teratoma: A Case Report

Ovarian mature cystic teratomas comprise tissues derived from all three germ layers. In rare cases, malignant tumors arise from ovarian mature cystic teratoma. A variety of tumors can arise from mature cystic teratoma, among which primary malignant melanoma (MM), for which no molecular analyses such as genomic sequencing have been reported to date, is exceedingly rare, thereby limiting possible therapeutic options using precision medicine. We used targeted gene sequencing to analyze the status of 160 cancer-related genes in a patient with MM arising from an ovarian mature cystic teratoma (MM-MCT). KRAS amplification and homozygous deletion in PTEN and RB1 were detected in tumor samples collected from the patient. No KRAS amplification has been previously reported in cutaneous MM, indicating that the carcinogenesis of MM-MCT differs from that of primary cutaneous melanomas. A better understanding of the underlying genetic mechanisms will help clarify the carcinogenesis of MM-MCT. In turn, this will enable treatment with novel targeting agents as well as the initial exploration of gene-based precision oncological therapies, which aim to improve treatment outcomes for patients with this disease.     

Condensation heat transfer of binary refrigerant mixtures of R22 and R114 inside a horizontal tube with internal spiral grooves

An experimental study of the condensation of pure and mixed refrigerants of R22 and R114 inside a spirally grooved horizontal copper tube has been carried out. A double-tube counterflow condenser in the pressure range 3–21 bar and at a mass flow-rate 26–70 kg h⁻¹ was used. The axial distributions of refrigerant, tube wall and cooling water temperatures, wall heat flux density and vapour quality are shown graphically. The variation of tube wall temperature around the circumference of the tube is also shown. The local Nusselt number depends on the molar fraction, whereas the average Nusselt number can be correlated by an equation which is modified from a previously established equation for pure refrigerants inside a horizontal smooth tube. The frictional pressure drop evaluated is correlated well by the Lockhart-Martinelli parameters and is independent of the concentration of the mixture.     

Modeling of natural sit-to-stand movement based on minimum jerk criterion for natural-like assistance and rehabilitation

Designing a sit-to-stand (STS) assistive system that mimics the normal transfer is important for improving the quality of life for elderly and mobility impaired people while reducing the burden on the caregivers. This paper presents a robotic-based STS assisting system that can provide assistance at the shoulder and the buttock. The minimum jerk criterion is used to model the natural STS motion. Anthropometry and characteristics of the natural STS motion are used to increase the simplicity and applicability of the STS motion model. This model can generate the shoulder and hip trajectories during STS. This enables the system to provide assistance either at the upper trunk or at the upper trunk and the hip simultaneously without inducing abnormal motion kinematics. The assisting system is used to assist subjects with different heights using the trajectories generated by the proposed motion model. In addition, the proposed trajectory is compared to the one that is resulted from a commercial lifter. The results show that the proposed method can accurately replicate the natural STS motion and results in a lower interaction force. Moreover, the subjects are more satisfied when they are assisted using the proposed method as indicated by the results of the post-experiment questionnaire.