Breast carcinoma with myeloid metaplasia--a case report

A 49 year-old female had been suffering from primary myelofibrosis since February 1987 without receiving any treatment. In 1994, a breast mass was detected. Breast tumor biopsy revealed tubular carcinoma with intraductal components and multinucleated giant cells in the loose and myxoid stroma. The giant cells were thought to be megakaryocytes because both Factor VIII and platelet glycoprotein GP IIIa were detected in their cytoplasm. While additional mastectomy specimens and the axillary lymph nodes also revealed prominent myeloid metaplasia, there was no proliferation of the cancer cells. Granulocytic series stained for chloroacetate esterase and very few erythrocytic series were observed. This is the first case in which breast carcinoma and myeloid metaplasia coexisted in the same breast tumor.     

Materials for supercapacitors: When Li-ion battery power is not enough

Supercapacitors, also known as electrochemical capacitors, have witnessed a fast evolution in the recent years, but challenges remain. This review covers the fundamentals and state-of-the-art developments of supercapacitors. Conventional and novel electrode materials, including high surface area porous carbons for electrical double layer capacitors (EDLCs) and transition metal oxides, carbides, nitrides and their various nanocomposites for pseudocapacitors – are described. Latest characterization techniques help to better understand the charge storage mechanisms in such supercapacitors and recognize their current limitations, while recently proposed synthesis approaches enable various breakthroughs in this field.     

Development of microphone leak detection technology on Fugen NPP

A method of leak detection, based on high-temperature resistant microphones, was originally developed in JNC to detect leakages with flow rates from 1 m³/h to 500m³/h. The development performed on Fugen is focused on detection of a small leakage at an early stage. Specifically, for the inlet feeder pipes the leak rate of 0.2gpm (0.046m³/h) has been chosen as a target detection capability. Evaluation of detection sensitivity was carried out in order to check the capability of the method to satisfy this requirement. The possibility of detecting and locating a small leakage has been demonstrated through the research.     

Contact and interconnect formation on compound semiconductor devices by ionized-cluster beam deposition

A new deposition technology, namely the ionized-cluster beam deposition method, was applied to form contacts and interconnects on III–V compound semiconductor devices. Au alloy films deposited by this technology had strong enough adhesion to an insulator layer to be a satisfactory interconnection. A step approximately 8 μm high at an angle of 90° to the semiconductor was covered fully with an Au alloy film obtained by this method. Electrical ohmic contacts for p-type GaP and GaAs were successfully obtained at substrate temperatures of 400 °C and 300 °C respectively without any further annealing process; this resulted in better device characteristics because of the lower process temperatures and also made the device less expensive because of a reduction in fabrication time.     

An evaluation of surface asperity profile changes in truncation processes using optical interferometric microscope

The truncation process as running-in wear was applied to evaluate surface asperity changes as removal at the top of its asperity profile. The measurement was done using an optical interferometric microscope. Whole surface profile was measured by the microscope supported by the stitching technique. The specimen was relocated on the microscope utilizing Hirth coupling as a hardware technique. Data obtained from a truncated specimen were precisely relocated to the original untruncated specimen by computer software in three dimensions. Then the profile change was obtained by deducting truncated data from the original data. The profile change was calculated as removed volume. The volume changes are plotted against a sliding length. As the software relocation technique needs the unchanged profile of a valley part, the evaluation is limited to where the truncation height is higher than −1.28 sigma (the standard deviation of untruncated original profile height). The present research can detect very little volume change that cannot be measured by other conventional methods, such as the gravimetric method. The advantages of the present method are as follows. It is possible to compare the truncated surface profile with the original untruncated surface profile in three dimensions. Thus, the inclination of the truncation surface can be evaluated and any other local changes can also be assessed. From this information the profiles of truncated surfaces will be linked to functions, and new parameters for truncation profile will be presented.     

Novel method to detect a motif of local structures in different protein conformations

In order to detect a motif of local structures in different protein conformations, the Delaunay tessellation is applied to protein structures represented by C(alpha) atoms only. By the Delaunay tessellation the interior space of the protein is uniquely divided up into Delaunay tetrahedra whose vertices are the C(alpha) atom positions. Some edges of the tetrahedra are virtual bonds connecting adjacent residues' C(alpha) atoms along the polypeptide chain and others indicate interactions between residues nearest neighbouring in space. The rules are proposed to assign a code, i.e., a string of digits, to each tetrahedron to characterize the local structure constructed by the vertex residues of one relevant tetrahedron and four surrounding it. Many sets comprised of the local structures with the same code are obtained from 293 proteins, each of which has relatively low sequence similarity with the others. The local structures in each set are similar enough to each other to represent a motif. Some of them are parts of secondary or supersecondary structures, and others are irregular, but definite structures. The method proposed here can find motifs of local structures in the Protein Data Bank much more easily and rapidly than other conventional methods, because they are represented by codes. The motifs detected in this method can provide more detailed information about specific interactions between residues in the local structures, because the edges of the Delaunay tetrahedra are regarded to express interactions between residues nearest neighbouring in space.      

(-)-Deprenyl protects human dopaminergic neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells from apoptosis induced by peroxynitrite and nitric oxide

In Parkinson's disease the cell death of dopamine neurons has been proposed to be mediated by an apoptotic death process, in which nitric oxide may be involved. This article reports the induction of apoptosis by nitric oxide and peroxynitrite in human dopaminergic neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and the antiapoptotic activity of (-)-deprenyl. After the cells were treated with a nitric oxide donor, NOR-4, or a peroxynitrite donor, SIN-1, DNA damage was quantitatively studied using a single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay. NOR-4 and SIN-1 induced DNA damage dose-dependently. Cycloheximide and alkaline treatment of the cells prevented the DNA damage, indicating that the damage is apoptotic and that it depends on the intracellular signal transduction. Superoxide dismutase and the antioxidants reduced glutathione and alpha-tocopherol protected the cells from the DNA damage. (-)-Deprenyl protected the cells from the DNA damage induced by nitric oxide or peroxynitrite almost completely. The protection by (-)-deprenyl was significant even after it was washed from the cells, indicating that (-)-deprenyl may activate the intracellular system against apoptosis. These results suggest that (-)-deprenyl or related compounds may be neuroprotective to dopamine neurons through its antiapoptotic activity.     

A case of V-type Hyperlipidemia with mycoses

Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) has been crystallized in 2 forms. Orthorhombic crystals, space group P2(1)2(1)2, diffracted to 2.8 A and have cell dimensions a = 39.1 A, b = 54.0 A, and c = 65.5 A. The second form is space group P4(3)2(1)2, with cell dimensions a = b = 67.1 A, and c = 107.9 A. The tetragonal crystals diffract to 2.8 A at room temperature and 2.5 A at -100 degrees C. The unit cell dimensions change significantly upon freezing, a = b = 66.1 A, and c = 102.8 A. Phases for the orthorhombic form were obtained by molecular replacement using nerve growth factor as the search model. A partially refined model of the NT-3 dimer (75% complete) was then oriented and positioned in the tetragonal cell.