Hepatobiliary cystadenoma. A study of five cases with reference to histogenesis

Hepatobiliary cystadenoma is a rare hepatic lesion characterized by a multiloculated cyst lined by cuboidal or columnar epithelial cells. Four cases of hepatobiliary cystadenoma with mesenchymal stroma (HCMS) and one case of hepatobiliary cystadenoma with intracystic epithelial component were studied by light microscopy, immunohistochemical methods, and electron microscopy. Similar studies were conducted on six fetal gallbladder tissues, representing the biliary tree, and two adult ovarian tissues. By light microscopy, the columnar epithelium of the five cases of hepatobiliary cystadenoma was similar to the epithelium of the developing gallbladder. The spindle cell stroma of the HCMS and the subepithelial spindle cells of the developing gallbladders showed similar reactivity to smooth-muscle actin. Vimentin reactivity was strongly positive in the stroma of the HCMS, and in the fetal gallbladders it was only noted in the subepithelial spindle cells of the 15-week gestation fetal gallbladder tissues. By electron microscopy, the epithelium lining the hepatic lesions showed characteristic gastrointestinal features and was identical to the epithelia lining the embryonic gallbladders. Furthermore, the mesenchymal stroma of the HCMS recapitulated the features found in subepithelial tissues in developing gallbladders. Although the ovarian stroma resembled the stroma of the HCMS by light microscopy, the immunohistochemical reactions and the electron microscopic studies showed dissimilarities. This study supports the hypothesis that the hepatobiliary cystadenomas arise from ectopic embryonic tissues destined to form the adult gallbladder.     

Community OR — Five Years of Organised Activities and Beyond

What has become known as Community Operational Research has been around in the UK for many years. The election of Jonathan Rosenhead as President of the UK OR Society in 1986–87 was the catalyst for bringing together and expanding activities which had been carried out largely by individuals working in isolation on a voluntary basis. The following five years have seen the establishment of the Community OR Unit at Northern College, the Centre for Community OR at Hull University and the Community OR Network, which supports the activities of volunteer OR workers across the UK. This paper reviews the range and types of work which have been undertaken by various practitioners. An assessment of the success of community OR is made and a number of issues which have arisen are discussed. Finally, given the diverse nature of community OR, its practice and practitioners, there is some discussion about the future of the area.     

ACAT inhibitors derived from hetero-Diels-Alder cycloadducts of thioaldehydes

Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) is the enzyme largely responsible for intracellular cholesterol esterification. A systemic inhibitor of ACAT is believed to be able to slow or even reverse the atherosclerotic process. Towards that goal, a series of cyclic sulfides, derived from the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of thioaldehydes with 1,3-dienes, and bearing carboxamide substituents, were prepared and evaluated for in vitro (in several tissues and species) and ex vivo ACAT inhibition. Minor changes in subsequent structure were found to have a significant effect in optimization of the biological activity of this series of compounds.     

Oxygenation in the rabbit myocardium: assessment with susceptibility-dependent MR imaging

PURPOSE: To determine the feasibility of using hemoglobin (Hb) desaturation as an indicator of myocardial oxygenation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: High-resolution gradient-echo nuclear magnetic resonance (MR) images of isolated, blood-perfused rabbit hearts were obtained at various blood oxygenation levels. The hearts were perfused at 37 degrees C with a Langendorff apparatus modified for nuclear MR imaging. The perfusate contained bovine red blood cells in a cardioplegic solution that eliminated motion artifacts and minimized arteriovenous oxygenation differences. Hb saturation was varied (7%-100%) randomly. Perfusion pressure was continuously monitored, and blood samples were obtained. RESULTS: There was a substantial correlation between image signal intensity in the myocardium and Hb saturation in the blood, believed to be due to susceptibility effects of the paramagnetic species deoxyhemoglobin. CONCLUSION: Direct and noninvasive determination of regional Hb saturation with susceptibility-dependent MR imaging may provide information regarding regional myocardial O2 content.     

A Composite Index of Compliance for Chronic In‐Center Hemodialysis Patients

We developed a composite compliance index as the sum of the compliance scores for interdialytic weight gain (IDWG), pre‐dialysis serum potassium and phosphorus concentrations (each scored from zero to 3, with 3 indicating the poorest compliance), and skipping hemodialysis sessions (scored from zero to 9, with 9 indicating the poorest compliance). We used this composite score to prospectively evaluate compliance in 25 prevalent hemodialysis patients over a period of 1 year. We then followed these patients for another 3.5 years. The patients studied were divided into two groups: group A (poor compliance) consisted of 9 subjects with composite score ≥ 9 (13.2 ± 3.2); group B (better compliance) consisted of 16 subjects with composite score < 9 (4.7 ± 1.8). Age, duration of hemodialysis, and frequency of diabetes mellitus did not differ between the groups. Group A contained higher fractions of subjects with history of alcoholism (66.7% vs 12.5%, p = 0.010), other substance addiction (44.4% vs 0%, p = 0.010), and severe psychosocial problems (88.9% vs 18.8%, p = 0.002). Mean survival from the beginning of observation, estimated by actuarial life‐table survival analysis, was 1.19 years in group A and 2.60 years in group B (p = 0.0265). A composite compliance index incorporating domains indicating adherence to diet, medications, and dialysis schedule identified other behavioral problems in poorly compliant patients. Hemodialysis patients characterized by this composite index as poorly compliant had shortened survival.     

Thirty years later: Attitudes toward the employment of older workers.

Replicated W. K. Kirchner and M. D. Dunnette's (see record 1955-03161-001) study on attitudes toward older workers with 71 male and 5 female hourly employees (aged 18–61 yrs) and 22 male supervisors (aged 27–63 yrs) of a nonunion manufacturing plant. Ss completed a questionnaire that was nearly identical to the one administered in the Kirchner and Dunnette study. Results are similar to those obtained in the earlier study: Hourly workers held more positive attitudes toward older employees than did supervisors, and attitude score correlated strongly with the age of hourly workers but not with the age of supervisors. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prediction of Undrained Sinkhole Collapse

Sinkholes are surface depressions or shafts resulting from the collapse of a submerged cavity in soil. The cavities that lead to sinkholes form as a result of underlying geology in limestone areas, or as a result of human activity such as mining or leakage from a sewer. The formation of sinkholes is often sudden and can lead to extensive damage and loss of life, especially in urban areas. Much of the literature on the subject of sinkhole formation is empirical in nature, often being associated with specific locations. This paper presents the results of a study, using numerical modeling, of the undrained stability of the submerged cavities that lead to sinkhole formation. Finite-element limit analysis techniques (using programs developed at the University of Newcastle) are used to obtain upper and lower bound values of a suitable load parameter, which bracket the exact solution. The results are compared to analytical solutions, both from literature and derived independently.     

One Hundred Years of Social Psychology Quantitatively Described.

This article compiles results from a century of social psychological research, more than 25,000 studies of 8 million people. A large number of social psychological conclusions are listed alongside meta-analytic information about the magnitude and variability of the corresponding effects. References to 322 meta-analyses of social psychological phenomena are presented, as well as statistical effect-size summaries. Analyses reveal that social psychological effects typically yield a value of r equal to .21 and that, in the typical research literature, effects vary from study to study in ways that produce a standard deviation in r of .15. Uses, limitations, and implications of this large-scale compilation are noted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)