Histopathologic spectrum of vaginal adenosis and related changes in stilbestrol-exposed females

A total of 98 colposcopically directed biopsies were obtained from the vagina, cervix, and cervicovaginal ridge (hood) of 80 young women believed to have had intrauterine exposure to stilbestrol (DES). Specific investigation of the patient's medical records corroborated the history of maternal stilbestrol administration in 36 patients (45%), while in the remainder the drug history was regarded as presumptive since medical records were unavailable for review. The findings did not differ significantly in those biopsies taken from patients with confirmed or presumptive drug histories. Histologic evidence of vaginal adenosis was detected in vaginal biopsies from 43 patients. In 30 cases (70%) benign Müllerian-type glandular epithelium was in the superficial vaginal wall, residing on the mucosal surface and/or in the lamina propria. The glandular epithelium predominantly was of endocervical type, but in six instances it resembled endometrial or fallopian tubal epithelium. The glands were accompanied by varying degrees of squamous metaplasia in 22 cases. When extensive the metaplasia produced transformation zones similar to those seen in the normal cervix. Vaginal biopsies of adenosis from the other 13 patients (30%) revealed squamous metaplasia without demonstrable glands due to complete transformation of all antecedent glandular epithelium by squamous metaplasia. Our studies indicate that squamous metaplasia is a component of major importance in the natural history of adenosis and that the concept of adenosis should be broadened to include those examples comprised exclusively of metaplastic epithelium. In such examples metaplasia is identified by the immaturity and poor glycogenation of the squamous cells and their accompanying squamous pegs which often contain residual gland openings or squamous "eddies." Similar findings were present in biopsies of seven cervicovaginal ridges and in cervical biopsies from 37 patients, except for the absence of endometrial or tubal type glands in the latter site. Although no adenocarcinomas were detected, six patients had squamous dysplasia of the vagina and/or cervix. In no case were premalignant or dysplastic changes of glandular cells found. Our findings support the thesis that stilbestrol-associated adenosis represents anomalous embryologic localization of the original squamocolumnar junction in the vagina rather than in the cervix. It is closely related to so-called cervical "erosions." The development of squamous metaplasia accounts for modifications in the clinical and histologic appearances by producing transformation zones which then may be subject to the same oncogenic stimuli for squamous neoplasia as are their counterparts in the cervix.     

Reach and posture hand preferences during arboreal feeding in sifakas (Propithecus sp.): A test of the postural origins theory of behavioral lateralization.

Sixteen sifakas (11 Propithecus verreauxi coquereli, 2 Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi form majori, and 3 Propithecus tattersalli) were videotaped as they fed on leaves in an arboreal context. The hand used to feed and the hand used to maintain postural stability was coded. For each subject, the lateral bias of the hand used to feed was opposite the hand used in postural support. Seven sifakas displayed no bias for feeding or posture-related hand use, 7 sifakas displayed significant feeding-related reach preferences for pulling branches to the mouth (5 left- and 2 right-hand preferences), and 9 sifakas exhibited significant hand preferences for postural support (2 left-, 7 right-hand preferent). Although these data do not strongly support the postural origins theory of behavioral lateralization, the modal preference pattern for sifakas that displayed significant hand preferences for posture and feeding involve a left bias for feeding and a right bias for postural support. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Extending the information delivery manual approach to identify information requirements for performance analysis of HVAC systems

Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems account for more than 15% of the total energy consumption in the US. In order to improve the energy efficiency of HVAC systems, researchers have developed hundreds of algorithms to automatically analyze their performance. However, the complex information, such as configurations of HVAC systems, layouts and materials of building elements and dynamic data from the control systems, required by these algorithms inhibits the process of deploying them in real-world facilities. To address this challenge, we envision a framework that automatically integrates the required information items and provides them to the performance analysis algorithms for HVAC systems. This paper presents an approach to identify and document the information requirements from the publications that describe these algorithms. We extend the Information Delivery Manual (IDM) approach so that the identified information requirements can be mapped to multiple information sources that use various formats and schemas. This paper presents the extensions to the IDM approach and the results of using it to identify information requirements for performance analysis algorithms of HVAC systems.     

Investigation of the mechanical and thermal fatigue properties of hybrid sol–gel coatings applied to AA2024 substrates

This research article reports on the response of various hybrid sol–gel materials when applied as coatings to pre-treated bare AA2024 substrates, to mechanical indentation and cyclic thermal stimuli, in order to determine their usefulness in aeronautical applications. Three groups of hybrid sol–gel-coated samples were prepared using various organosilanes and transition metal oxides. The characterization of the materials revealed that the presence of the organic functionalities, especially the methacrylate group, has a noticeable effect on the mechanical response of the hybrid coatings, in particular their flexibility. The presence of methacrylate group in the cured material gives it ability to flex which influenced the thermal fatigue characteristics of the coatings which are able to withstand the cyclic temperature regimes of 82 ± 3 to ?37 ± 3°C over 25 2 h cycles. This capability to maintain substrate protection is reflected in the corrosion resistance of the coatings as measured using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and accelerated exposure testing. This result is important, as it shows that hybrid sol–gel materials can be used in applications where protecting a metal or ally substrate is paramount, especially in thermally volatile environments.     

A Functionally Graded Carbide in the Ta–C System

Hard materials used in such abrasive wear applications as cutting tools and wear inserts in drilling tools require high hardness to resist wear, high fracture toughness to withstand mechanical and thermal shock, and high chemical and thermal stability. Such a combination of properties is difficult to achieve in single‐phase materials. Functional grading is an approach that overcomes this limitation by designing and processing a graded microstructure that provides high hardness and chemical resistance at the surface with a tough interior or bulk. While functional grading is a widely used practice in the cemented carbides industry, it has not been demonstrated with “pure” carbides. This article reports the feasibility of designing and processing a graded carbide in the Ta–C binary system. It is shown that a simple carburization treatment of the high‐toughness carbide, ζ‐Ta₄C_3?x, can lead to the formation of the hard carbide phase, γ‐TaC_y, on the surface. The thickness, microstructure (grain size), and composition (C/Ta atomic ratio, y) of the γ‐TaC_y layer can be optimized to obtain both high hardness and high strength for the graded material.     

Potential of using real-time PCR-based detection of spoilage yeast in fruit juice--a preliminary study

A real-time PCR system was used to differentiate between the common spoilage yeasts, Zygosaccharomyces bailii, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, Candida krusei, Rhodotorula glutinis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, based on melting peak Tm analysis of the 5.8S rDNA subunit and the adjacent ITS2 region of these yeasts. By using the real-time PCR system and by targeting the citrate synthase (cs 1) gene of C. krusei, it was possible to develop a sensitive detection system to both identify and quantitate the level of C. krusei growth in an artificially contaminated apple juice sample.     

Extracellular Matrix Deposition and Remodeling after Corneal Alkali Burn in Mice

Corneal transparency relies on the precise arrangement and orientation of collagen fibrils, made of mostly Type I and V collagen fibrils and proteoglycans (PGs). PGs are essential for correct collagen fibrillogenesis and maintaining corneal homeostasis. We investigated the spatial and temporal distribution of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and PGs after a chemical injury. The chemical composition of chondroitin sulfate (CS)/dermatan sulfate (DS) and heparan sulfate (HS) were characterized in mouse corneas 5 and 14 days after alkali burn (AB), and compared to uninjured corneas. The expression profile and corneal distribution of CS/DSPGs and keratan sulfate (KS) PGs were also analyzed. We found a significant overall increase in CS after AB, with an increase in sulfated forms of CS and a decrease in lesser sulfated forms of CS. Expression of the CSPGs biglycan and versican was increased after AB, while decorin expression was decreased. We also found an increase in KS expression 14 days after AB, with an increase in lumican and mimecan expression, and a decrease in keratocan expression. No significant changes in HS composition were noted after AB. Taken together, our study reveals significant changes in the composition of the extracellular matrix following a corneal chemical injury.     

Comparison of Different Mass Spectrometry Workflows for the Proteomic Analysis of Tear Fluid

The tear film is a multi-layer fluid that covers the corneal and conjunctival epithelia of the eye and provides lubrication, nutrients, and protection from the outside environment. Tear fluid contains a high concentration of proteins and has thus been recognized as a potential source of biomarkers for ocular disorders due to its proximity to disease sites on the ocular surface and the non-invasive nature of its collection. This is particularly true in the case of dry eye disease, which directly impacts the tear film and its components. Proteomic analysis of tear fluid is challenging mainly due to the wide dynamic range of proteins and the small sample volumes. However, recent advancements in mass spectrometry have revolutionized the field of proteomics enabling unprecedented depth, speed, and accuracy, even with small sample volumes. In this study using the Orbitrap Fusion Tribrid mass spectrometer, we compared four different mass spectrometry workflows for the proteomic analysis of tear fluid collected via Schirmer strips. We were able to establish a method of in-strip protein digestion that identified >3000 proteins in human tear samples from 11 healthy subjects. Our method offers a significant improvement in the number of proteins identified compared to previously reported methods without pooling samples.     

Pial Vessel-Associated Microglia/Macrophages Increase in Female Dahl-SS/Jr Rats Independent of Pregnancy History

As the resident immune cells of the central nervous system, microglia have a wide range of functions such as surveillance, phagocytosis, and signaling through production of chemokines and cytokines. Recent studies have identified and characterized macrophages residing at the meninges, a series of layers surrounding the brain and spinal cord. While perivascular microglia within the brain parenchyma increase following chronic hypertension, there are no reports of changes at the meninges, and specifically, associated with the pial vasculature. Thus, we used female Sprague Dawley and Dahl salt-sensitive (SS/Jr) rat brains, stained for ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule (Iba1), and characterized microglia/macrophages associated with pial vessels in the posterior brain. Results indicate that Iba1⁺ pial vessel-associated microglia (PVAM) completely surrounded the vessels in brains from the Dahl-SS/Jr rats. PVAM density was significantly higher and distance between PVAMs lower in Dahl-SS/Jr compared to the Sprague Dawley rat brains. Pregnancy history did not affect these findings. While the functional role of these cells are not known, we contextualize our novel findings with that of other studies assessing or characterizing myeloid cells at the borders of the CNS (meninges and choroid plexus) and perivascular macrophages and propose their possible origin in the Dahl-SS/Jr model of chronic hypertension.