Cysteine protease CPP32, but not Ich1-L, is expressed in germinal center B cells and their neoplastic counterparts

Ich-1/Nedd2 and CPP32/YAMA are cysteine proteases related to interleukin 1-beta-converting enzyme (ICE), which act as apoptosis effectors. Both molecules are expressed in T- and B-cell lines. The authors investigated their in vivo cellular distribution in normal and neoplastic human lymphoid tissues. Sixty-eight representative non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) and Hodgkin's disease (HD) samples, normal lymphoid organs, and nonlymphoid tumors were analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). CPP32 expression in benign tissues was restricted to germinal center B cells, plasma cells, and a few interfollicular immunoblasts. All follicular NHLs and most diffuse large cell NHLs were CPP32 positive. Among T-cell NHLs, CPP32 expression was mainly observed in anaplastic large cell NHLs, whereas the other subtypes were less frequently positive. In contrast, lymphoid organs displayed only weak Ich1-L expression, located in sinusal histiocytes and thymic epithelial cells. Lymphomas were Ich1-L negative, except for T-cell-rich B-cell NHLs, and about half of the HD samples, in which Reed-Sternberg cells (RSC) were usually Ich1-L positive/CPP32 negative. Extralymphoid Ich1-L reactivity was found in particular organs like the kidney and various tumors. Western blot analysis confirmed the specificity of immunostaining. Neither CPP32 nor Ich1-L expression were correlated with intratumoral DNA fragmentation, as determined by the TUNEL assay. Altogether, these results indicate that CPP32 is preferentially expressed in germinal centers and thus could be involved in B-cell maturation. The differential expression of CPP32 and Ich1-L suggests that cysteine proteases differ in substrate specificities and carry out functions unrelated to apoptosis.     

Evaluation of a template protection approach to integrate fingerprint biometrics in a PIN-based payment infrastructure

Biometric authentication has a great potential to improve the security, reduce cost, and enhance the customer convenience of payment systems. Despite these benefits, biometric authentication has not yet been adopted by large-scale point-of-sale and automated teller machine systems. This paper aims at providing a better understanding of the benefits and limitations associated with the integration of biometrics in a PIN-based payment authentication system. Based on a review of the market drivers and deployment hurdles, a method is proposed in which biometrics can be seamlessly integrated in a PIN-based authentication infrastructure. By binding a fixed binary, renewable string to a noisy biometric sample, the data privacy and interoperability between issuing and acquiring banks can improve considerably compared to conventional biometric approaches. The biometric system security, cost aspects, and customer convenience are subsequently compared to PIN by means of simulations using fingerprints. The results indicate that the biometric authentication performance is not negatively influenced by the incorporation of key binding and release processes, and that the security expressed as guessing entropy of the biometric key is virtually identical to the current PIN. The data also suggest that for the fingerprint database under test, the claimed benefits for cost reduction, improved security and customer convenience do not convincingly materialize when compared to PIN. This result can in part explain why large-scale biometric payment systems are virtually non-existent in Europe and the United States, and suggests that other biometric modalities than fingerprints may be more appropriate for payment systems.     

Articulated planar reformation for change visualization in small animal imaging

The analysis of multi-timepoint whole-body small animal CT data is greatly complicated by the varying posture of the subject at different timepoints. Due to these variations, correctly relating and comparing corresponding regions of interest is challenging.In addition, occlusion may prevent effective visualization of these regions of interest. To address these problems, we have developed a method that fully automatically maps the data to a standardized layout of sub-volumes, based on an articulated atlas registration. We have dubbed this process articulated planar reformation, or APR. A sub-volume can be interactively selected for closer inspection and can be compared with the corresponding sub-volume at the other timepoints, employing a number of different comparative visualization approaches. We provide an additional tool that highlights possibly interesting areas based on the change of bone density between timepoints. Furthermore we allow visualization of the local registration error, to give an indication of the accuracy of the registration. We have evaluated our approach on a case that exhibits cancer-induced bone resorption.     

Kinetic and Thermodynamic Studies of Emulsion Polymerization of a Sugar Monomer by Calorimetry with Compensation Heating and Differential Cooling

The kinetic and thermodynamic features of free‐radical batch emulsion polymerization of a sugar monomer (3‐MDG) and butyl acrylate (BA) were investigated in a power compensation calorimeter. The homopolymerizations as well as the copolymerization have been studied. The overall activation energy of 3‐MDG homopolymerization was 140 ± 3.8 kJ · mol^?1, the polymerization enthalpy was ΔH_MDG = ?51.6 ± 1.9 kJ · mol^?1 and the calculated adiabatic temperature rise was ΔT_ad = 78.5 K. The effects of the initiator and the emulsifier concentrations on the 3‐MDG/BA batch copolymerization kinetics and on the colloidal properties of the final sugar latexes were studied at 60 °C. At higher emulsifier and initiator concentration, respectively, the polymerization rate increases and the particle size decreases, but the trends do not conform to the Smith‐Ewart theory. Polydisperse sugar latex particles with a mean diameter in the range of 50–67 nm were obtained.

Relationship between the activation energy and the conversion for BA (open symbols) and 3‐MDG (solid symbols).     

Trace element differentiation in ferruginous accumulation soil patterns under tropical rainforest of southern Cameroon,the role of climatic change

Regions under tropical rainforest cover, such as central Africa and Brazil are characterised by degradation and dismantling of old ferricrete structures. In southern Cameroon, these processes are relayed by present-day ferruginous accumulation soil facies, situated on the middle and the lower part of hill slopes. These facies become progressively harder towards the surface, containing from bottom to top, mainly kaolinite, kaolinite-goethite and Al-rich goethite-hematite, and are discontinuous to the relictic hematite-dominated ferricrete that exist in the upper part of the hill slope. These features were investigated in terms of geochemical differentiation of trace elements. It appears that, in contrast to the old ferricrete facies, the current ferruginous accumulations are enriched in transitional trace elements (V, Cr, Co, Y, Sc) and Pb, while alkali-earth elements are less differentiated. This recent chemical accumulation is controlled both by intense weathering of the granodiorite bedrock and by mobilisation of elements previously accumulated in the old ferricrete. The observed processes are clearly linked to the present-day humid climate with rising groundwater tables. They slowly replace the old ferricretes formed during Cretaceous time under more seasonal climatic conditions, representing an instructive case of continuos global change.     

Biological treatment of fatty acid and nitrogen derivative waste water

Armak Company’s McCook, Ill., plant has installed an aerobic biological treatment system to handle a portion of its waste water flow prior to discharge to a municipal treatment plant operated by the Metropolitan Sanitary District of Greater Chicago. The waste includes a mixture of animal and vegetable fats and oils, fatty acids, nitrogen derivatives of fatty acids, and miscellaneous organic chemicals. The purpose of the treatment system is to reduce fats, oils, or greases as measured by a hexane soluble test to below 100 mg/liter, as required by Metropolitan Sanitary District ordinance. The biological treatment system achieved an average reduction of 92% in hexane solubles and an 82% reduction in chemical oxygen demand during the reporting period, when incombing hexane solubles average 760 mg/liter, and chemical oxygen demand average 4800 mg/liter. The hydraulic flow during this same period average 320,000 gpd. Odors associated with the operation required covering the aeration basins and treating the effluent air. One of seven papers presented in the symposium, “Ecology-Practical Solutions to Environmental Problems as Practiced in the Fats and Oils Industry” at the AOCS Spring Meeting, Mexico City, Mexico, April 1974.     

Fatty acid composition of seed oils from sixAdansonia species with particular reference to cyclopropane and cyclopropene acids

The oil content of sixAdansonia species (Bombacaceae family) of Madagascar (Adansonia grandidieri, A. za, A. digitata, A. fony, A. madagascariensis andA. suarenzensis) and Africa (A. digitata) ranges from 8 to 46%. All the oils give a positive response to the Halphen test. Malvalic, sterculic and dihydrosterculic acids were detected using gas liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (GLC-MS). Epoxy or hydroxy fatty acids were not found in these oils. Fatty acid composition was determined by GLC using glass capillary columns coated with BDS and Carbowax 20 M. Results obtained for cyclopropenic fatty acids (CPEFA) were compared to those given by glass capillary GLC after derivatization with silver nitrate in methanol, by hydrogen bromide titration and by proton magnetic resonance (PMR). Good agreement was observed for the results given by the various methods. Malvalic acid content ranges from 3 to 28%, sterculic acid from 1 to 8% and dihydrosterculic acid from 1.5 to 5.1%. Odd-numbered fatty acids (Pentadecanoic and hepatadecanoic) were also observed in minute amounts (0.1–1.1%). Among the normal fatty acids, we observed mainly palmitic (21–46%), oleic (15–40%) and linoleic (12–32%). The relationship between fatty acid composition andAdansonia species is discussed.     

Semicontinuous emulsion copolymerization of 3‐O‐methacryloyl‐1,2:5,6‐di‐O‐isopropylidene‐α‐D‐glucofuranose (3‐MDG) and butyl acrylate (BA). Monomer feed addition

New polymer colloids based on the saccharide monomer, using of 3‐O‐methacryloyl‐1,2:5,6‐di‐O‐isopropylidene‐α‐D ‐glucofuranose (3‐MDG), were prepared by semicontinuous emulsion polymerization, a widely used industrial process. The copolymerization of 3‐MDG and butyl acrylate (BA), by the monomer‐addition technique, at 70°C, using sodium persulfate (Na₂S₂O₈) as an initiator, was investigated. The influence of some reaction parameters, such as the type and concentration of the surfactants as well as the monomer addition rate (R_m) on the polymerization rate (R_p), the colloidal properties, and the stability of the latexes, was studied. It was found that under starved‐feed conditions the polymerization rate and the particle size (D) increased with an increasing rate of monomer addition. The weight‐average molecular weight (M _w) also increased by enhancing R_m and a narrower molecular weight distribution was obtained. Furthermore, the type and the concentration of the surfactants strongly influenced the particle size and its distribution. The effect of the seed stage on the particle size and its distribution was also investigated. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 2091–2102, 2003