What is new in bladder cancer imaging

Treatment and prognosis of urinary bladder cancer largely are determined by the tumor stage and presence of metastases. MR imaging and clinical staging complement each other. MR imaging is the most accurate technique for differentiating the various stages of deep tumor infiltration and detection of metastases, whereas clinical staging is the best technique for differentiating between postbiopsy effects and the various stages of superficial tumors. The role of MR imaging in staging of this disease and monitoring of therapy is reviewed and illustrated. Finally, the authors present an overview of current and future applications of this technique.     

An agile manufacturing workcell design

This paper introduces a design for agile manufacturing worked Is intended for light mechanical assembly of products made from similar components (i.e., parts families). We define agile manufacturing as the ability to accomplish rapid changeover from the assembly of one product to the assembly of a different product. Rapid hardware changeover is made possible through the use of robots, flexible part feeders, modular grippers, and modular assembly hardware. The division of assembly, feeding, and unloading tasks between multiple robots is examined with prioritization based upon assembly time. Rapid software changeover will be facilitated by the use of a real-time, object-oriented software environment utilizing graphical simulations for off-line software development. An innovative dual VMEbus controller architecture permits an open software environment while accommodating the closed nature of most commercial robot controllers. These agile features permit new products to be introduced with minimal downtime and system reconfiguration.     

RHEOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF COMMERCIALLY PROCESSED FLUID MILKS

Flow profiles of commercially processed whole, two-percent, one-percent and nonfat milks with added solids as well as skim milk without added solids were measured using a rotational steady shear viscometer. Also tested were mixtures of concentrated skim milk added to skim milk over a range of 9.7% to 20.2% total solids. A shear rate range of 121 to 486 s^-1 was used with a cone and plate geometry. In all cases, linear plots of shear stress versus shear rate with small nonzero intercepts were obtained.     

Fatigue crack in large-scale tubular joints for offshore structures

Tubular members have been used for constructing offshore structures. Large-scale fatigue tests of welded tubular K-joints under the balanced in-plane bending brace were carried out to investigate the fatigue behavior of API 2W Gr.50 steel produced by POSCO. The experimental results were verified by numerical approaches and compared with the IIW, DnV RP-C203 and API RP 2A-WSD design curves. The test results based on the hot spot stress were in agreement with the design curves. The SCF factor for tubular K-jo...     

Stage IA1 cervical adenocarcinoma: definition and treatment

OBJECTIVE: To propose a definition for stage IA1 cervical adenocarcinoma, based on the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system, and to determine if patients meeting criteria might be candidates for conservative surgery. METHODS: Two hundred women were diagnosed with early-stage cervical adenocarcinoma from 1982 to 1996. Histopathologic sections were reviewed by a gynecologic pathologist. Medical records were reviewed, and patients included in this study had microscopically identifiable lesions, up to 3 mm invasive depth, up to 7 mm tumor width, and negative margins if cone biopsy was performed. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients with microinvasive adenocarcinoma met criteria for FIGO stage IA1 carcinoma of the cervix. The median (range) follow-up was 76 (30-172) months and median (range) patient age was 38 (24-75) years. Definitive treatment included type II or III radical hysterectomy in 16 cases, simple abdominal or vaginal hysterectomy in four cases, and loop electrosurgical excision procedure in one case; one patient received adjuvant pelvic radiation. The histologic subtypes were endocervical adenocarcinoma in 18 cases, adenosquamous carcinoma in two cases, and clear-cell adenocarcinoma in one case. There was no evidence of parametrial invasion or lymph node metastases in any patient who had radical surgery, and there were no disease recurrences. CONCLUSION: Patients with microinvasive adenocarcinoma who met criteria for FIGO stage IA1 cervical carcinoma had disease limited to the cervix, and conservative surgery, such as cone biopsy or simple hysterectomy, might offer them definitive treatment.     

Deletion of cell division cycle 2-like 1 gene locus on 1p36 in non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Our laboratories have documented a significantly high occurrence of chromosome 1p36 rearrangements in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The cell division cycle 2-like 1(CDC2L1) (also known as TP58 or PITSLRE) gene, a protein kinase implicated in apoptotic signaling, is located at the very distal region of chromosome 1p36 and is likely to be disrupted by structural rearrangements involving 1p36. To determine the molecular consequences of the recurrent involvement of the 1p36 region, we examined metaphases containing 1p36 abnormalities from 31 specimens derived from 26 patients for the possible deletion of CDC2L1 by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using the TP58clk-1 DNA probe. Twenty-three cases exhibited the loss of CDC2L1 from the abnormal chromosome 1. In 2 of 26 cases, the gene locus was translocated to the partner chromosome, and in four specimens, all derived from one case, CDC2L1 was not deleted. This pilot investigation suggests that 1p36 rearrangements, and consequently the loss of the CDC2L1 gene locus, is important in NHL. This work also opens avenues for further molecular studies and prognostic correlations.     

Recognition and management of systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an inflammatory systemic disease that causes organ damage by the deposition of autoantibodies and complement activating immune complexes or by vascular occlusion due to procoagulant states associated with antiphospholipid antibodies. The vast majority of cases occur in women of childbearing age. SLE is diagnosed on the basis of its clinical manifestations and the demonstration of characteristic immunological phenomena, especially anti-nuclear antibodies. The prognosis in SLE has shown a distinct improvement over recent decades, the 5-year survival rate now approaching or exceeding 90%. The 15-year survival rate of 63 to 79%, on the other hand, underscores the need for further advances in diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Management of the disease includes regular monitoring of disease activity, avoidance of predisposing factors and close supervision of therapy. Drug therapy is guided by the activity and severity of the leading organ manifestations and ranges from nonsteroidal antirheumatic drugs to intensive treatment with cytotoxic agents. Corticosteroids remain irreplaceable for the control of acute flares. Antimalarials and azathioprine are important long term drugs for treating mild or moderate disease activity. Intravenous pulse cyclophosphamide is safer than other regimens and at least as effective as oral cyclophosphamide for severe lupus nephritis. It is also effective in the treatment of central nervous disease and of other organ-threatening manifestations. Recently, an intensified protocol which included cyclophosphamide induced long term treatment-free remission in 60% of patients. The toxicity of cyclophosphamide is considerable, but can be ameliorated by various measures. The value of several new immunosuppressants and other compounds remains to be determined.