“Albedo dome”: a method for measuring spectral flux-reflectance in a laboratory for media with long optical paths

A method is presented for accurate measurement of spectral flux-reflectance (albedo) in a laboratory, for media with long optical path lengths, such as snow and ice. The approach uses an acrylic hemispheric dome, which, when placed over the surface being studied, serves two functions: (i) it creates an overcast “sky” to illuminate the target surface from all directions within a hemisphere, and (ii) serves as a platform for measuring incident and backscattered spectral radiances, which can be integrated to obtain fluxes. The fluxes are relative measurements and because their ratio is used to determine flux-reflectance, no absolute radiometric calibrations are required. The dome and surface must meet minimum size requirements based on the scattering properties of the surface. This technique is suited for media with long photon path lengths since the backscattered illumination is collected over a large enough area to include photons that reemerge from the domain far from their point of entry because of multiple scattering and small absorption. Comparison between field and laboratory albedo of a portable test surface demonstrates the viability of this method.

Numb/Numbl-Opo antagonism controls retinal epithelium morphogenesis by regulating integrin endocytosis

Polarized trafficking of adhesion receptors plays a pivotal role in controlling cellular behavior during morphogenesis. Particularly, clathrin-dependent endocytosis of integrins has long been acknowledged as essential for cell migration. However, little is known about the contribution of integrin trafficking to epithelial tissue morphogenesis. Here we show how the transmembrane protein Opo, previously described for its essential role during optic cup folding, plays a fundamental role in this process. Through interaction with the PTB domain of the clathrin adaptors Numb and Numbl via an integrin-like NPxF motif, Opo antagonizes Numb/Numbl function and acts as a negative regulator of integrin endocytosis in vivo. Accordingly, numb/numbl gain-of-function experiments in teleost embryos mimic the retinal malformations observed in opo mutants. We propose that developmental regulator Opo enables polarized integrin localization by modulating Numb/Numbl, thus directing the basal constriction that shapes the vertebrate retina epithelium.

Antiangiogenic And Finasteride Therapies: Responses Of The Prostate Microenvironment In Elderly Mice.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the structural and molecular effects of antiangiogenic therapies and finasteride on the ventral prostate of senile mice. 90 male FVB mice were divided into: Young (18 weeks old) and senile (52 weeks old) groups; finasteride group: finasteride (20mg/kg); SU5416 group: SU5416 (6 mg/kg); TNP-470 group: TNP-470 (15 mg/kg,) and SU5416+TNP-470 group: similar to the SU5416 and TNP-470 groups. After 21 days, prostate ventral lobes were collected for morphological, immunohistochemical and Western blotting analyses. The results demonstrated atrophy, occasional proliferative lesions and inflammatory cells in the prostate during senescence, which were interrupted and/or blocked by treatment with antiangiogenic drugs and finasteride. Decreased AR and endostatin reactivities, and an increase for ER-α, ER-β and VEGF, were seen in the senile group. Decreased VEGF and ER-α reactivities and increased ER-β reactivity were verified in the finasteride, SU5416 groups and especially in SU5416+TNP-470 group. The TNP-470 group showed reduced AR and ER-β protein levels. The senescence favored the occurrence of structural and/or molecular alterations suggesting the onset of malignant lesions, due to the imbalance in the signaling between the epithelium and stroma. The SU5416+TNP-470 treatment was more effective in maintaining the structural, hormonal and angiogenic factor balance in the prostate during senescence, highlighting the signaling of antiproliferation via ER-β.

Malignant Transformation Of An Odontogenic Cyst In A Period Of 10 Years.

Primary intraosseous carcinoma of the jaws (PIOSCC) might arise from odontogenic epithelium, more commonly from a previous odontogenic cyst. The aim of this case is to illustrate that the clinician should consider that an apparent benign dentigerous cyst can suffer malignant transformation and that all material removed from a patient must be evaluated histologically. A 44-year-old man presented in a routine periapical X-ray an impacted lower left third molar with radiolucency over its crown. Ten years later, the patient complained of pain in the same region and the tooth was extracted. After one month, the patient still complained of pain and suffered a fracture of the mandible. A biopsy was performed and carcinoma was diagnosed. The patient was treated surgically with adjuvant radio- and chemotherapy and after 8 years, he is well without signs of recurrences. This report describes a central mandibular carcinoma probably developed from a previous dentigerous cyst.

Defective Apoptosis In Intestinal And Mesenteric Adipose Tissue Of Crohn's Disease Patients.

Crohn's disease (CD) is associated with complex pathogenic pathways involving defects in apoptosis mechanisms. Recently, mesenteric adipose tissue (MAT) has been associated with CD ethiopathology, since adipose thickening is detected close to the affected intestinal area. However, the potential role of altered apoptosis in MAT of CD has not been addressed. To evaluate apoptosis in the intestinal mucosa and MAT of patients with CD. Samples of intestinal mucosa and MAT from patients with ileocecal CD and from non-inflammatory bowel diseases patients (controls) were studied. Apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL assay and correlated with the adipocytes histological morphometric analysis. The transcriptional and protein analysis of selected genes and proteins related to apoptosis were determined. TUNEL assay showed fewer apoptotic cells in CD, when compared to the control groups, both in the intestinal mucosa and in MAT. In addition, the number of apoptotic cells (TUNEL) correlated significantly with the area and perimeter of the adipose cells in MAT. Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis reveal a significantly lower transcript and protein levels of Bax in the intestinal mucosa of CD, compared to the controls; low protein levels of Bax were found localized in the lamina propria and not in the epithelium of this tissue. Furthermore, higher level of Bcl-2 and low level of Caspase 3 were seen in the MAT of CD patients. The defective apoptosis in MAT may explain the singular morphological characteristics of this tissue in CD, which may be implicated in the pathophysiology of the disease.

[the Use Of Fish On Buccal Smear To Investigate Mosaicism With A 45,x Cell Line: Study On Healthy Men And Patients With Disorders Of Sex Development].

To verify whether fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of cells from the buccal epithelium could be employed to detect cryptomosaicism with a 45,X lineage in 46,XY patients. Samples of nineteen 46,XY healthy young men and five patients with disorders of sex development (DSD), four 45,X/46,XY and one 46,XY were used. FISH analysis with X and Y specific probes on interphase nuclei from blood lymphocytes and buccal epithelium were analyzed to investigate the proportion of nuclei containing only the signal of the X chromosome. The frequency of nuclei containing only the X signal in the two tissues of healthy men did not differ (p = 0.69). In all patients with DSD this frequency was significantly higher, and there was no difference between the two tissues (p = 0.38), either. Investigation of mosaicism with a 45,X cell line in patients with 46,XY DSD or sterility can be done by FISH directly using cells from the buccal epithelium.

Endocytosis Of Tight Junctions Caveolin Nitrosylation Dependent Is Improved By Cocoa Via Opioid Receptor On Rpe Cells In Diabetic Conditions.

Retinal pigment epithelium cells, along with tight junction (TJ) proteins, constitute the outer blood retinal barrier (BRB). Contradictory findings suggest a role for the outer BRB in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the mechanisms involved in these alterations are sensitive to nitrosative stress, and if cocoa or epicatechin (EC) protects from this damage under diabetic (DM) milieu conditions. Cells of a human RPE line (ARPE-19) were exposed to high-glucose (HG) conditions for 24 hours in the presence or absence of cocoa powder containing 0.5% or 60.5% polyphenol (low-polyphenol cocoa [LPC] and high-polyphenol cocoa [HPC], respectively). Exposure to HG decreased claudin-1 and occludin TJ expressions and increased extracellular matrix accumulation (ECM), whereas levels of TNF-α and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were upregulated, accompanied by increased nitric oxide levels. This nitrosative stress resulted in S-nitrosylation of caveolin-1 (CAV-1), which in turn increased CAV-1 traffic and its interactions with claudin-1 and occludin. This cascade was inhibited by treatment with HPC or EC through δ-opioid receptor (DOR) binding and stimulation, thereby decreasing TNF-α-induced iNOS upregulation and CAV-1 endocytosis. The TJ functions were restored, leading to prevention of paracellular permeability, restoration of resistance of the ARPE-19 monolayer, and decreased ECM accumulation. The detrimental effects on TJs in ARPE-19 cells exposed to DM milieu occur through a CAV-1 S-nitrosylation-dependent endocytosis mechanism. High-polyphenol cocoa or EC exerts protective effects through DOR stimulation.

Increased Circulating Pedf And Low Sicam-1 Are Associated With Sickle Cell Retinopathy.

Sickle cell retinopathy (SCR) develops in up to 30% of sickle cell disease patients (SCD) during the second decade of life. Treatment for this affection remains palliative, so studies on its pathophysiology may contribute to the future development of novel therapies. SCR is more frequently observed in hemoglobin SC disease and derives from vaso-occlusion in the microvasculature of the retina leading to neovascularization and, eventually, to blindness. Circulating inflammatory cytokines, angiogenic factors, and their interaction may contribute to the pathophysiology of this complication. Angiopoietin (Ang)-1, Ang-2, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, E-selectin, P-selectin, IL1-β, TNF-α, pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF) and vascular endothelial growth factor plasmatic levels were determined in 37 SCD patients with retinopathy, 34 without retinopathy, and healthy controls. We observed that sICAM-1 is significantly decreased, whereas PEDF is elevated in HbSC patients with retinopathy (P=0.012 and P=0.031, respectively). Ang-1, Ang-2 and IL1-β levels were elevated in SCD patients (P=0.001, P<0.001 and P=0.001, respectively), compared to controls, and HbSS patients presented higher levels of Ang-2 compared to HbSC (P<0.001). Our study supports the possible influence of sICAM-1 and PEDF on the pathophysiology of retinal neovascularization in SCD patients.

Combined External Pressure And Cu-substitution Studies On Bafe2as2 Single Crystals.

We report a combined study of external pressure and Cu-substitution on BaFe2As2 single crystals grown by the in-flux technique. At ambient pressure, the Cu-substitution is known to suppress the spin density wave (SDW) phase in pure BaFe2As2(TSDW ≈ 140 K) and to induce a superconducting (SC) dome with a maximum transition temperature [Formula: see text]. This [Formula: see text] is much lower than the Tc ∼ 15-28 K achieved in the case of Ru, Ni and Co substitutions. Such a lower Tc is attributed to a Cu(2+) magnetic pair-breaking effect. The latter is strongly suppressed by applied pressure, as shown herein, Tc can be significantly enhanced by applying high pressures. In this work, we investigated the pressure effects on Cu(2+) magnetic pair-breaking in the BaFe2-xCuxAs2 series. Around the optimal concentration (xopd = 0.11), all samples showed a substantial increase of Tc as a function of pressure. Yet for those samples with a slightly higher doping level (over-doped regime), Tc presented a dome-like shape with maximum Tc ≃ 8 K. Remarkably interesting, the under-doped samples, e.g. x = 0.02 display a maximum pressure induced Tc ≃ 30 K which is comparable to the maximum Tc's found for the pure compound under external pressures. Furthermore, the magnetoresistance effect as a function of pressure in the normal state of the x = 0.02 sample also presented an evolution consistent with the screening of the Cu(2+) local moments. These findings demonstrate that the Cu(2+) magnetic pair-breaking effect is completely suppressed by applying pressure in the low concentration regime of Cu(2+) substituted BaFe2As2.

Pigmented Ameloblastic Fibro-odontoma: Clinical, Histological, And Immunohistochemical Profile.

Ameloblastic fibro-odontoma (AFO) is a slow-growing, expansive, benign odontogenic tumor, composed of ameloblastic epithelium embedded in an ectomesenchymal stroma resembling dental papilla, containing hard dental tissue in variable degrees of maturation, including enamel, dentin, and sometimes cementum. AFO typically affects the posterior mandible, causing bony expansion. We report a case of pigmented AFO in a 5-year-old boy, comprising clinical and histological features illustrated by immunohistochemistry using a large panel of antibodies, polarized light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy.

HOXB5 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Human HOX genes encode transcription factors that act as master regulators of embryonic development. They are important in several processes such as cellular morphogenesis and differentiation. The HOXB5 gene in particular has been reported in some types of neoplasm, but not in oral cancer. OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated the expression of HOXB5 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and in non-tumoral adjacent tissues, focusing on verifying its possible role as a broad tumor-associated gene and its association with histopathological and clinical (TNM) characteristics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: RT-PCR was performed to amplify HOXB5 mRNA in 15 OSCCs and adjacent non-tumoral epithelium. A possible association with TNM and histopathologic data was verifed by the chi-square and post-hoc t-test. RESULTS: HOXB5 was amplifed in 60% non-tumoral epithelium and in 93.3% carcinomas. No statistically signifcant differences were found regarding the HOXB5 mRNA expression and TNM or histological grade. CONCLUSION: HOXB5 is expressed in OSCCs and its role in cancer progression should be further investigated.

Immunohistochemical expression of p53, p16 and hTERT in oral squamous cell carcinoma and potentially malignant disorders

Oral carcinogenesis is a multi-step process. One possible step is the development of potentially malignant disorders known as leukoplakia and erytroplakia. The objective of this study was to use immunohistochemistry to analyze the patterns of expression of the cell-cycle regulatory proteins p53 and p16INK4a in potentially malignant disorders (PMD) of the oral mucosa (with varying degrees of dysplasia) and in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) to correlate them with the expression of telomerase (hTERT). Fifteen PMD and 30 OSCC tissue samples were analyzed. Additionally, 5 cases of oral epithelial hyperplasia (OEH) were added to analyze clinically altered mucosa presenting as histological hyperplasia without dysplasia. p53 positivity was observed in 93.3% of PMD, in 63.3% of OSCC and in 80% of OEH. Although there was no correlation between p53 expression and the grade of dysplasia, all cases with severe dysplasia presented p53 suprabasal immunoexpression. p16INK4a expression was observed in 26.7% of PMD, in 43.3% of OSCC and in 2 cases of OEH. The p16INK4a expression in OEH, PMD and OSCC was unable to differentiate non-dysplastic from dysplastic oral epithelium. hTERT positivity was observed in all samples of OEH and PMD and in 90% of OSCC. The high hTERT immunoexpression in all three lesions indicates that telomerase is present in clinically altered oral mucosa but does not differentiate hyperplastic from dysplastic oral epithelium. In PMD of the oral mucosa, the p53 immunoexpression changes according to the degree of dysplasia by mechanisms independent of p16INK4a and hTERT.

Estudo morfofuncional das glândulas mamárias de Mão Pelada, Procyon cancrivorus

Para a descrição macro e microscópica das glândulas mamárias foram utilizadas três fêmeas de Mão Pelada (Procyon cancrivorus). As amostras das glândulas foram processadas conforme técnicas rotineiras para histologia. As fêmeas estudadas apresentaram 3 pares de glândulas mamárias, sendo um par de glândula mamária abdominal cranial, um par de abdominal caudal e um par de inguinal. As papilas mamárias apresentaram formato pendular, como os canídeos domésticos. Microscopicamente, a glândula mamária apresentou da porção externa para a interna: epiderme (epitélio estratificado pavimentoso queratinizado), derme (tecido conjuntivo frouxo e tecido conjuntivo denso não modelado), fibras musculares lisas e ductos papilíferos que abrem em vários ósteos papilares em formato de "chuveiro". A porção secretora glandular era caracteristicamente túbulo alveolar, com células cuboidais dispostas em camada simples. Os resultados indicam que o conjunto glandular estudado é semelhante ao da cadela (Cannis familiaris) tanto em seu aspecto macroscópico quanto em seu aspecto microscópico, este fato sugere que podemos utilizar o Mão Pelada e o Cão como modelos similares de estudo, para identificação de patologias relacionadas a este sistema.