Increased concentrations of octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in cases with breast cancer--results from a case-control study

Organochlorines are persistent and highly lipophilic environmental contaminants which bioaccumulate in the food chain. Some of these chemicals, 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), have been suggested to be of significance in the aetiology of breast cancer. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is an anti-oestrogen in animal studies and should be thus lower the risk of breast cancer. The other isomers of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) or the chemically related polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) have not been tested regarding carcinogenesis of the breast. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether PCDDs or PCDFs influence the risk for breast cancer. Consecutive patients who underwent surgery for a breast disease between 1993 and 1995 were recruited for the study. Cases were 22 patients with infiltrative breast cancer and controls were 19 patients operated for a benign breast disease during the same time period. Approximately 10 g of breast tissue free from tumour was taken from the specimen and frozen until analysis. Fat was extracted, cleaned and analysed with a high-resolution gas chromatograph coupled to a high-resolution mass spectrometer. Median concentrations of octachlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) were 598 (170-14,880) and 396 (103-1,847) pg/g lipid in the cases and in the controls, respectively. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis controlling for other risk factors for breast cancer increased odds ratio (OR) was obtained for OCDD: 401-1000 pg/g lipid yielded OR 3.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.4-39, > 1000 pg/g lipid gave OR 5.2, CI 0.4-72. When the lipid OCDD variable was examined as a continuous risk factor there was a 1.09 (9%), CI 0.95-1.25, increase in the adjusted OR for breast cancer per 100 unit (pg/g lipid) increase in OCDD. No differences were found between cases and controls for the other six tested PCDDs. Mean concentration of TCDD was in the cases 3.6 (1.0-7.9) and in the controls 3.3 (1.1-6.3) pg/g lipid. For PCDFs no significant differences were found between cases and controls. The results were not changed if oestrogen or progesterone receptor status, S-phase fraction and DNA ploidy were considered. Breast tissue concentration of OCDD was increased in cancer patients, whereas the concentrations of other PCDDs and PCDFs were equal in cases and controls.     

An efficient technique for detecting catastrophic convolutional codes

Catastrophic convolutional codes (CC) cause an infinite number of decoded data bit errors when decoding a finite number of code symbols. A CC displays a catastrophic error propagation if the generating polynomials have a common factor. An efficient algorithm for polynomial factorization in GF(2^m) is used for detecting catastrophic CC for any rate n/m and constraint length k. A general formula is derived to calculate the number of catastrophic codes in any (m, n, k) CC.     

Sequence capture-PCR improves detection of mycobacterial DNA in clinical specimens

The rapid identification of mycobacterial DNA in clinical samples by PCR can be useful in the diagnosis of tuberculous infections, but several large studies have found that the sensitivity of this approach is not better than that of culture. In order to improve the sensitivity of detection of mycobacterial DNA in clinical specimens from patients with paucibacillary forms of tuberculosis, we have developed a procedure permitting the specific capture of mycobacterial DNA in crude samples prior to amplification, thereby concentrating the target sequences and removing irrelevant DNA and other potential inhibitors of the amplification reaction (sequence capture-PCR). By using this approach to capture and amplify two different sequences specific for organisms of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (IS6110 and the direct repeat region), it was possible to detect as little as one genome of mycobacterial DNA in samples containing up to 750 micrograms of total DNA, representing a 10- to 100-fold increase in sensitivity compared with that obtained by purifying total DNA prior to amplification. Detection of the IS6110 sequence in pleural fluid samples from patients with tuberculous pleurisy by sequence capture-PCR gave positive results in 13 of 17 cases, including 3 of 3 culture-positive samples and 10 of 14 culture-negative samples. In contrast, when total DNA was purified from these samples by adsorption to a silica matrix prior to amplification, only the three culture-positive samples were positive by PCR. The sensitivity of detection of the direct repeat sequence in these samples by sequence capture-PCR was similar to that of IS6110 and, in addition, permitted immediate typing of the strains from some patients. We conclude that sequence capture-PCR improves the sensitivity of detection of mycobacterial DNA in paucibacillary samples. This approach should be useful in detecting rare target sequences from organisms implicated in other pathologic processes.     

Direct and indirect assessment of skeletal muscle blood flow in patients with congestive heart failure

Techniques which are currently used to measure skeletal muscle blood flow (SMBF) in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) are neither convenient nor accurate. They have led to discrepant results in patients with congestive heart failure and are, in part, responsible for the ongoing debate regarding the factors which limit the rise in body oxygen consumption during exercise in these patients. However, direct measurement of SMBF may not be needed during exercise in patients with severe CHF. Their skeletal muscles maximally extract oxygen. Consequently, increase in oxygen consumption by the skeletal muscles is only mediated by a concomitant increase in SMBF. In patients with severe CHF, peak body oxygen consumption attained during maximal exercise closely depends on the rise in SMBF, and thus provides an indirect measurement of SMBF.     

The effects of growth hormone in children with a GH deficiency: a report of 5 cases

The authors describe 5 cases, 3 boys and 2 girls, with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency in prepubertal age, treated with human growth hormone. In four of five cases the response to treatment with GH was relevant. Only in one case (F1) the response was negative. The results of this study confirm that rhGH is a safe and effective therapy in children with GHD.     

Interpolated smoothed pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution for accuratespectrum analysis

This paper deals with a new application of the time-domain windowed (smoothed version) of the pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution (PWD), that can be easily implemented in a dedicate digital instrument to be used as a spectral analyzer for time-frequency analysis of nonstationary signals. New computational algorithms are studied and developed to attain high time-frequency resolution, accuracy, flexibility and computational efficiency. Particularly, to reduce the negative effects due to leakage during frequency changes, a new interpolation formula is derived by using the windowing theory. The suggested technique allows the users to perform optimal evaluations of the instantaneous amplitudes and frequencies of analyzed signals     

A vectorial vibrating reed magnetometer with high sensitivity

A vibrating reed magnetometer with high sensitivity is constructed. Using optical signal pickup, modified excitation coils, and an acoustical reference excitation system, the high sensitivity of former constructions is combined with the detection of the magnetization component perpendicular to the bias field H. The calibration procedure providing increased reliability is simplified and allows hysteresis measurements with the magnetic easy axis of the sample oriented at an arbitrary angle with respect to H. Measurement results are given in order to demonstrate the performance of the apparatus