Adenomyotic glands are highly related to endometrial glands.

RESEARCH QUESTION: How closely related are adenomyotic and endometrial glands? DESIGN: In this study, the mRNA and protein database www.proteinatlas.org was searched for proteins expressed predominantly in the endometrial glands. Specificity was tested with tissue microarrays. Biopsy specimens of endometrial, adenomyotic tissue, or both, were collected after surgery from 21 women without endometriosis, 20 women with endometriosis, 18 women with adenomyosis together with endometriosis and 12 women with adenomyosis alone. Tissue expression was analysed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Two proteins were identified: calcyphosine (CAPS), and msh homeobox 1 (MSX1). A high abundance and good specificity in endometrial glands were found. Both proteins, CAPS and MSX1, showed a high specificity for endometrium and are both localized in the luminal cells and epithelial cells of the glandular and adenomyotic glands. No significant differences were found between CAPS- and MSX1-positive endometrial glands between cases with and without endometriosis. Also, no cycle-specific different expression was found. Furthermore, a close relationship between the adenomyotic glands and the endometrial glands for CAPS (range 63.0-98.3%) and for MSX1 (range 87.1-99.3%) could be demonstrated. Only 11.2% and 6.8% negative glands for CAPS and MSX1 were identified in all tissues from all patients, respectively; none were negative for both proteins. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our results show that the protein expression pattern of adenomyosis is nearly identical to those of the endometrium with and without endometriosis, thus suggesting endometrial glands as the main source for adenomyotic glands.

A detailed 3D finite element analysis of the peeling behaviour of a gecko spatula.

This paper presents a detailed finite element analysis of the adhesion of a gecko spatula. The gecko spatulae form the tips of the gecko foot hairs that transfer the adhesional and frictional forces between substrate and foot. The analysis is based on a parameterised description of the 3D geometry of the spatula that only requires 12 parameters. The adhesion is described by a nonlinear computational contact formulation that accounts for the van der Waals interaction between spatula and substrate. The spatula adhesion model is implemented using an enriched contact finite element formulation recently developed by the first author. The finite element model is then used to simulate the peeling behaviour of the gecko spatula under applied vertical and rotational loading for various model parameters. Variations of the material stiffness, adhesional strength and range, stiction, spatula size and spatula inclination are considered to account for the natural variation of spatula properties. The study demonstrates that the spatula can function over a wide range of conditions. The computed pull-off forces are in agreement with experimental results reported in the literature. The study also examines the energy required for the spatula pull-off. The proposed model is ideal to study the influence of substrate roughness on the spatula adhesion, as is finally demonstrated.