Amplification and expression of c-erbB2 oncogene in normal, hyperplastic, and malignant endometria

OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation of development and survival with amplification of c-erbB2 oncogene in endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: The amplification and expression of c-erbB2 oncogene were determined from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues of 25 normal, 31 hyperplastic, and 72 malignant samples of the endometrium in 128 patients, using differential polymerase chain reaction (DPCR) and an immunohistochemical technique. RESULTS: Amplified c-erbB2 (2 to 12 copies) were found in two of 25 (8.0%) normal, 15 of 31 (48.4%) hyperplastic, and 45 of 72 (62.5%) malignant samples. When the results of DPCR were compared with those of the immunohistochemical method, the negative findings concide well with one another, i.e., nonamplification was associated with the absence of immunoreactivity. It was noted that the amplified c-erbB2 was found more significantly in complex and a typical hyperplasias than in simple hyperplasias. The high-level c-erbB2 amplification (at least five copies) was significantly correlated with the histological grade of endometrial carcinoma and vascular or lymphatic invasion. No correlation was seen between c-erbB2 amplification and overall survival in the present group of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The amplified c-erbB2 may play a potential role in the early development of some endometrial carcinomas. The high-level c-erbB2 amplification may identify a subset of aggressive endometrial carcinoma that involves vascular or lymphatic invasiveness and poor cell differentiation playing the role of a marker for clinical prognosis.     

X-linked juvenile retinoschisis: localization between (DXS1195, DXS418) and AFM291wf5 on a single YAC

We studied 17 pedigrees with 108 affected males with X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (RS; McKusick No. 31270) and have analyzed all of the known polymorphic markers in the RS region of Xp22.1-p22.2 between DXS987 and DXS41. By haplotype analyses we found 7 individuals who showed crossovers in this interval surrounding RS. We previously reported AFM291wf5 as the centromeric boundary, and this remains unchanged in the present study. A new recombination was identified on the telomeric side at (DXS1195, DXS418). Our data support the locus order Xpter--(DXS987, DXS207, DXS1053, DXS43)--(DXS1195, DXS418)--(RS, DXS257, DXS999)--(AFM291wf5, DXS443)--DXS1052--(DXS1226, DXS274, DXS41)--Xcen; loci grouped in parentheses could not be mutually ordered by our genetic data. Physical mapping has indicated a distance of at most 900-1,000 kb between (DXS1195, DXS418) and AFM291wf5. No recombination was observed between RS and DXS257 which lies in our new interval of interest, but one critical individual was not informative with this marker. Our data now define the smallest RS inclusion interval. This interval is contained on a single YAC from which we have identified expressed sequences as candidate genes for RS.     

The effects of guided tissue regeneration and fixation technique on osseous wound healing in rabbit zygomatic arch osteotomies

So called lethal midline granuloma is of great clinical and theoretical interest. Recent evidence has shown that most lethal midline granulomas are associated with a T-cell phenotype and they are therefore referred to as nasal T-cell lymphomas (NTCL). Immunohistochemical studies, however, have shown peculiar phenotypic features such as expression of natural killer (NK)-cell-related markers and extensive T-cell antigen loss including absence of expression of alpha beta T-cell receptor (TCR). In this study, we reported genotypic and immunohistochemical features in two cases of lethal midline granuloma. The histopathological diagnosis of the biopsy specimens was polymorphic reticulosis/midline malignant reticulosis. Both cases displayed a CD2+, CD3-, CD3 epsilon+, CD4-, CD8-, CD16-, CD56+ phenotype, suggesting that these tumors may be peripheral T-cell lymphomas with extensive loss of T-cell antigens and expression of NK cell antigen (CD56), or, alternatively, NK cell neoplasias. No TCR beta gene rearrangement was detected in these cases. Monoclonal Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome was detected in each specimen by Southern blot hybridization. The tumor cells in one of the two cases expressed latent membrane protein (LMP). These findings support the concept that lethal midline granuloma constitutes a distinct group of lymphomas that, in addition to their peculiar clinical features, exhibits the phenotype of extensive loss of T-cell antigens and expression of the NK cell antigen, as well as harbors the EBV. In view of the LMP-transforming potential, these data suggest that EBV may play a role in the pathogenesis of lethal midline granuloma.     

Activity of the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase and optimal glycolytic flux are required for rapid adaptation and growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the presence of the weak-acid preservative sorbic acid

The weak acid sorbic acid transiently inhibited the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in media at low pH. During a lag period, the length of which depended on the severity of this weak-acid stress, yeast cells appeared to adapt to this stress, eventually recovering and growing normally. This adaptation to weak-acid stress was not due to metabolism and removal of the sorbic acid. A pma1-205 mutant, with about half the normal membrane H+-ATPase activity, was shown to be more sensitive to sorbic acid than its parent. Sorbic acid appeared to stimulate plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity in both PMA1 and pma1-205. Consistent with this, cellular ATP levels showed drastic reductions, the extent of which depended on the severity of weak-acid stress. The weak acid did not appear to affect the synthesis of ATP because CO2 production and O2 consumption were not affected significantly in PMA1 and pma1-205 cells. However, a glycolytic mutant, with about one-third the normal pyruvate kinase and phosphofructokinase activity and hence a reduced capacity to generate ATP, was more sensitive to sorbic acid than its isogenic parent. These data are consistent with the idea that adaptation by yeast cells to sorbic acid is dependent on (i) the restoration of internal pH via the export of protons by the membrane H+-ATPase in an energy-demanding process and (ii) the generation of sufficient ATP to drive this process and still allow growth.     

Quick simulation of detector error probabilities in the presence ofmemory and nonlinearity

One would like to compare and analyze digital communication systems based upon their overall probability of error. Unfortunately, easily evaluated closed form expressions for these probabilities are almost impossible to derive due to the complexity of the stochastic systems usually encountered. Hence, one must often resort to simulation to obtain the desired quantities. The most obvious technique is Monte Carlo simulation, which directly counts the number of errors in repeated trials. The problem is that error probabilities are usually quite small, requiring numerous simulation runs to sufficiently “hit” the rare event to gain adequate knowledge of its statistics. This places severe demands on the computer's random number generator. Importance sampling strategies simulate under altered input signal distributions (e.g., translation or stretching) so as to “speedup” convergence of the error estimators. The authors discuss a speedup technique termed quick simulation based upon results in large deviation theory. The quick simulation method is shown to compare favorably with three other importance sampling techniques for simulating a simple nonlinear system with memory     

Experimental studies on the gastroduodenojejunal motility and gastric emptying after duodenectomy with preservation of the total stomach and pylorus

It is of interest to know whether or not the removal of the pyloric branch of the vagus nerve (subsequently referred to as vagotomy) is associated with the early stagnation of gastric contents supervening upon duodenectomy with preservation of the total stomach and pylorus (innervation of pylorus group 5, denervation of pylorus group 5). In the present study preservative duodenectomy was performed on dogs to determine the effects of vagotomy on gastroduodenojejunal motility and gastric emptying. The group of typical strong preprandial contraction waves (subsequently referred to as phase III) did not appear after vagotomy. The appearance of phase III was delayed and its duration was reduced. The duration of pyloric phase III significantly reduced, at 2 and 4 weeks post-surgery, in the denervation of pylorus group, compared to the innervation of pylorus group, and at 4 weeks, the area of phase III was significantly decreased in the denervation group. Post-vagotomy gastric emptying was poor throughout the course of observation. The results of this study suggest that the vagotomy-induced change in gastroduodenal motility in fasting conditions is one of the factors responsible for the stagnation of gastric contents.     

Residual phase noise measurements of VHF, UHF, and microwavecomponents

The results of residual phase noise measurements on a number of VHF, UHF, and microwave amplifiers, both silicon (Si) bipolar junction transistor (BJT) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) field effect transistor (FET) based, electronic phase shifters, frequency dividers and multipliers, etc., which are commonly used in a wide variety of frequency source and synthesizer applications are presented. The measurement technique has also been used to evaluate feedback oscillator components, such as the loop and buffer amplifiers, which can play important roles in determining an oscillator's output phase noise spectrum (often in very subtle ways). While some information has previously been published related to component residual phase noise properties, it generally focused on the flicker noise levels of the devices under test, for carrier offset frequencies less than 10 kHz. The work reported herein makes use of an extremely low noise, 500 MHz surface acoustic wave resonator oscillator (SAWRO) test source for residual phase noise measurements, both close-to-and far-from-the-carrier. Using this SAWRO-based test source at 500 MHz, we have been able to achieve a measurement system phase noise floor of -184 dBc/Hz, or better, for carrier offset frequencies greater than 10 kHz, and a system flicker phase noise floor of -150 dBc/Hz, or better, at 1 Hz carrier offset. The paper discusses the results of detailed residual phase noise measurements performed on a number of components using this overall system configuration. Several interesting observations related to the residual phase noise properties of moderate to high power RF amplifiers, i.e., amplifiers with 1 dB gain compression points in the range of +20 to +33 dBm, are highlighted     

A self-organizing fuzzy control of weld pool size in GMA welding processes

In arc welding processes, because of the complexity and nonlinearity of heat transfer phenomena, it is often difficult to design an effective control system based upon an exact mathematical model. In this paper, a self-organizing fuzzy control method is proposed to obtain a uniform weld quality by regulation of the surface temperature at a desired level. The proposed control system is designed to comprise a combined structure of the fuzzy SOC with conventional PD control for improving the system's stability. The control experiments show that the proposed controller guarantees a uniform weld quality for various welding conditions.     

Correlative MR-anatomic study of the median nerve

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of MR imaging for showing the intrinsic anatomy of a peripheral nerve. Cadaver wrist specimens that included the median nerve were imaged with MR imaging at 3 T, then sectioned, stained, and inspected grossly and microscopically. The size, shape, and signal intensity of the sheath and axonal structures in the median nerve were identified in MR images by comparison with anatomic sections. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that MR imaging with sufficiently high-resolution techniques shows the internal structure of peripheral nerves. These results suggest that MR imaging may be a means to distinguish neuritis, tumor, degeneration, or fatty proliferation in a peripheral nerve and to evaluate the nerve before microsurgical anastomosis.