Patients with ultrasonic coarse-nodular cirrhosis who are anti-hepatitis C virus-positive are at high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The relationship between echosonographic patterns of patients with cirrhosis who are antihepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive, the DNA synthesis of hepatocytes, and the risk for HCC were studied. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with anti-C-100 antibody-positive and Child's grade A posthepatitic cirrhosis were studied. DNA synthesis activity was measured by a bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU, a thymidine analogue)-labeling index (LI), using the BrdU-anti-BrdU in vitro method, and the patients were followed prospectively by frequent liver ultrasonography for 3 years. The ultrasound patterns were classified into fine, coarse, and coarse-nodular (CN) patterns, and the reproducibility of the classification in practical use also was confirmed. RESULTS: Of the 21 patients with high DNA synthesizing cirrhosis (BrdU LI > or = 1.5%), 10 (48%) showed coarse-nodular, 5 (24%) coarse, and 6 (29%) fine pattern in ultrasonography. Conversely, of the 17 patients with low DNA synthesizing LC (BrdU LI < 1.5%), only 1 (6%) showed coarse-nodular, 2 (12%) coarse, and 14 (82%) fine pattern. A significant relationship was found between the two groups of BrdU LI and ultrasound imaging patterns (P < 0.05). The incidence of CN pattern was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in the high DNA synthesizing group than in low DNA synthesizing group. Of the 11 patients with CN pattern by ultrasound imaging, 10 (91%) were in the high DNA synthesizing group, and 9 (82%) developed HCC during the follow-up period, compared with 3 of 7 (43%) with coarse, and only one of 20 (5%) with fine pattern developed HCC. The incidence of HCC was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in patients with a CN cirrhosis pattern than in those with a fine pattern. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with cirrhosis who are anti-HCV-positive, the CN pattern by ultrasound imaging indicates increased DNA synthesis of hepatocytes and a high risk for developing HCC.     

Stoffwechselwirkungen von ω-3-Fettsäuren

Metabolic Effects of ω-3 Fatty Acids Biological effects of ω-3 fatty acids are related to their properties as structural components of cell membranes, their role as precursors of eicosanoids and their effects on lipoprotein metabolism. This is the basis for a great variety of metabolic effects, many of which of increasing medical interest. Particularly in the cardiovascular field, ω-3 fatty acids have been shown to have a wide spectrum of potentially antiatherogenic effects. Among these are the inhibition of platelet aggregation, reduction of blood viscosity, lowering of blood pressure and suppression of inflammatory reactions in the arteriosclerotic plaque. The principal actions in lipid metabolism are a reduction in triglycerides and a small increase in HDL₂. The effect on LDL-cholesterol is complex and an adverse LDL-increase may occur in particular hyperlipoproteinemias.     

Bemerkungen zum Biot-Savartschen Gesetz

Übersicht Die folgende Arbeit verfolgt u. a. auch didaktische Absichten. Das Biot-Savartsche Gesetz wird oft falsch oder mindestens sehr mißverständlich dargestellt und auch auf unzulässige Weise benutzt. Ausgangspunkt der Mißverständnisse ist die auch in vielen Lehrbüchern anzutreffende unkorrekte Aussage, man könne einem von StromI durchflossenen Linienelement ds ein magnetostatisches Feld dB [entsprechend der Gleichung (32) des folgenden Beitrags] zuordnen. Im folgenden werden derartige Aussagen untersucht und in modifizierter Form korrekt dargestellt.

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Remarks concerning the Law of Biot-Savart

Contents The following paper is at least partly of a didactic nature. The Biot-Savart law of magnetostatics is often interpreted in an illegitimate manner and consequently applied incorrectly. The source of these misunderstandings and errors is the incorrect statement that a magnetic field dB [as given by equation (32) of this paper] is caused by an electric currentI flowing along a line element ds, a statement very popular also in many textbooks. Questions related to this problem are investigated and widespread misleading statements are replaced by correct ones.

     

Categorical ML — Category-theoretic modular programming

We consider an extension of the functional programming language Standard ML with a modular structure based upon concepts in category theory such as categories, functors, natural transformations and adjunctions. In essence, we are following the categorical imperative of considering arrows as well as objects. This is intended to enforce a certain mathematical rigour on the programmer, so that the only programs that can be expressed are those with a categorical significance. The essentially algebraic nature of category theory means that we may generate equational correctness conditions for the modular structure of programs, thus separating the correctness of individual functions from that of modules. We describe this programming language, give examples of its use, and explain how it is implemented in a type system.     

The constrained total least squares technique and its applicationsto harmonic superresolution

The constrained total least squares (CTLS) method is a natural extension of TLS to the case when the noise components of the coefficients are algebraically related. The CTLS technique is developed, and some of its applications to superresolution harmonic analysis are presented. The CTLS problem is reduced to an unconstrained minimization problem over a small set of variables. A perturbation analysis of the CTLS solution is derived, and from it the root mean-square error (RMSE) of the CTLS solution, which is valid for small noise levels, is obtained in closed form. The complex version of the Newton method is derived and applied to determine the CTLS solution. It is also shown that the CTLS problem is equivalent to a constrained parameter maximum-likelihood problem. The CTLS technique is applied to estimate the frequencies of sinusoids in white noise and the angle of arrival of narrowband wavefronts at a linear uniform array. In both cases the CTLS method shows superior or similar accuracy to other advanced techniques     

Fate of the human liver after hemihepatic portal vein embolization: cell kinetic and morphometric study

The favorable therapeutic effect of preoperative portal vein embolization (PVE) was analyzed by assessing various volumetric, cell kinetic and morphometric parameters and examining histologically the embolized and nonembolized lobes of 15 patients who underwent extended right lobectomy 2 to 3 weeks after PVE. Each lobar volume was calculated from computed tomography (CT) images, hepatocyte proliferation was evaluated by assessing proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression and mitosis, hepatocyte apoptosis was evaluated by the terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, and the hepatocyte numerical density as well as the sinusoidal volumetric ratio (Vvs) and the mean hepatocyte volume (Cv) were calculated using morphometric methods. PVE induced hepatocyte apoptosis and atrophy of the embolized lobe (from 798 +/- 213 to 708 +/- 222 cm3; P < .05). The increased sinusoidal volume in this lobe (17.7% +/- 4.5% and 21.7% +/- 5.7%, periportal and pericentral area, respectively) may have been attributable to hepatocyte deletion. Cells in the nonembolized lobe entered a highly active phase of proliferation within 2 weeks after PVE. Further evidence of cellular proliferation was provided by the increased nonembolized lobar volume (from 379 +/- 132 to 545 +/- 130 cm3; P < .01) and numerical density of hepatocyte nuclei (Nv) (5.38 +/- 1.26 vs. 3.11 +/- 0.85 x 10(5)/mm3; P < .01, nonembolized vs. embolized lobe, respectively). In conclusion, these results indicate that the favorable effect of PVE is attributable to a net gain of functional hepatocyte mass and/or early induction of hepatocyte proliferation following hepatectomy.     

Direkte und indirekte Randelementmethoden zur Bestimmung der Lage des Schubmittelpunktes beliebig geformter Stabquerschnitte

Zusammenfassung Die Koordinaten des Schubmittelpunktes eines beliebig berandeten Stabquerschnittes werden in dieser Arbeit aus der Torsionsverw?lbung des Querschnittes berechnet. Zur Bestimmung der Querschnittsverw?lbung wird die Randelementmethode (Boundary-Element-Method) herangezogen. Dabei entstehen durch verschiedene Vorgehensweisen mehrere Fredholmsche Integralgleichungen erster und zweiter Art, von denen jedoch nur bestimmte zur L?sung des genannten Problems geeignet sind. Einige direkte und indirekte Integralgleichungen werden hier für beliebig berandete Stabquerschnitte bezüglich ihrer Einsetzbarkeit untersucht und miteinander verglichen. Es zeigt sich dabei, da? auch eine Integralgleichung erster Art problemlos eingesetzt werden kann. Die Randelemente werden bei der numerischen L?sung der Integralgleichungen durch Polynome dritten Grades und die unbekannten Funktionen durch Polynome zweiten Grades approximiert, um eine glatte Berandung und stetigen Funktionenverlauf zu sichern.—Die Methode ist auf dünnwandige, dickwandige, offene und auf geschlossene Profile anwendbar. Numerische Ergebnisse für verschiedene Querschnittsformen aus den DIN-Normen zeigen die Effektivit?t sowohl der direkten als auch der indirekten Methode.     

The occurrence of multiple solutions for the TSD-Euler equation

Summary In a recent paper the TSD-Euler equation for transonic flow has been derived. This equation is similar in some respects to the TSD equation but has both entropy and vorticity terms retained. In this paper the existence of multiple solutions for the TSD-Euler equation is examined and it is found that such solutions exist for a small range of Mach numbers and airfoil thickness. It is found also that the addition of a vorticity flux on the airfoil surface can enhance the appearance of multiple solutions.With 4 Figures     

Guaranteed inclusions for the complex generalized eigenproblem

A method is described which produces guaranteed bounds for a solution of the generalized complex eigenproblem. The method extends a similar approach for general systems of nonlinear equations to the special case of complex pencils, where under weaker assumptions stronger assertions can be proved.