Structural and functional abnormalities at 11p15 are associated with the malignant phenotype in sporadic adrenocortical tumors: study on a series of 82 tumors

Abnormalities of the 11p15 region with overexpression of the normally imprinted insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) gene have been implicated in the pathogenesis of adrenocortical tumors. We evaluated the frequency and distribution of 11p15 loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and IGF-II gene overexpression in a series of 82 sporadic adrenocortical tumors, screened for pathological functional imprinting of the 11p15 region in tumors not exhibiting LOH and evaluated the expression of H19 gene in these tumors. Abnormalities of the 11p15 region as LOH (loss of the maternal allele and duplication of the paternal allele) and/or IGF-II gene overexpression are frequent features of the malignant state and were found in 27 of 29 (93.1%) of the malignant tumors and in only 3 of 35 (8.6%) of the benign tumors. Tumors without abnormality of the 11p15 region (mainly benign tumors) did not exhibit pathological functional imprinting. In tumors with mosaicism for 11p15 LOH, biallelic expression of the IGF-II gene was constant in the tumor cell contingent not undergoing LOH. Abrogation of H19 expression correlated with the loss of the maternal allele (LOH or pathological imprinting), but did not always correlate with overexpression of the IGF-II gene. These data indicate the involvement of dysregulation of the 11p15 region in late steps of adrenocortical tumorigenesis and provide us with new molecular markers for a better diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of adrenocortical tumors.     

The EASI project-improving the effectiveness and quality ofimage-guided surgery

In recent years, advances in computer technology and a significant increase in the accuracy of medical imaging have made it possible to develop systems that can assist the clinician in diagnosis, planning, and treatment. This paper deals with an area that is generally referred to as computer-assisted surgery, image-directed surgery, or image-guided surgery. We report the research, development, and clinical validation performed since January 1996 in the European Applications in Surgical Interventions (EASI) project, which is funded by the European Commission in their “4th Framework Telematics Applications for Health” program. The goal of this project is the improvement of the effectiveness and quality of image-guided neurosurgery of the brain and image-guided vascular surgery of abdominal aortic aneurysms, while at the same time reducing patient risks and overall cost. We have developed advanced prototype systems for preoperative surgical planning and intraoperative surgical navigation, and we have extensively clinically validated these systems. The prototype systems and the clinical validation results are described in this paper     

Preparing a company for inevitable choices : Diversification or retrenchment?

In the petroleum industry, new rules of the game like price instability, disruption of supplies, increased competition or new environmental regulations dictate new goals of flexibility and openness for the organization. Restructuring is not the panacea it sometimes appears, since it often amounts to no more than a change of clothes and will not transform the person underneath. Firms need managers who can listen, who can set objectives and have enough faith in people to let them work towards meeting them. The willingness to take risks will also be a necessary attribute of the manager of the future.     

Determination of residual ethylene dibromide in cereals by glass capillary gas chromatography

Summary This study describes two methods for the quantitative determination of residual ethylene dibromide (1,2-dibromoethane) in cereals, especially wheat, and in dried fruit. The first method is based on a solvent-extraction technique; in the second a continuous micro steam-distillation — solvent-extraction apparatus is used. The quantitative determination of ethylene dibromide is performed by electron-capture gas chromatography using a glass capillary column coated with CPwax 51. The absolute detection limit for EDB is 0.5 pg and recoveries of 82 and 98% resp. are obtained for samples with EDB added in the range of 10 to 50 g/kg.75 samples of cereal products and 19 samples of dried fruit have been analysed with the solvent extraction method. For 22 samples the micro steam-distillation-solvent-extraction technique has been used.

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Bestimmung von Restmengen von Ethylendibromid in Getreide durch Capillar-Gaschromatographie

Zusammenfassung Es wurden zwei Methoden für die quantitative Bestimmung von Restmengen des Ethylendibromids (1,2-Dibromoethan) in Getreide, insbesondere Weizen, und in getrockneten Früchte beschrieben. Das erste Verfahren basiert auf der Lösungsmittelextraktions-Technik; für das zweite dagegen wurde ein Mikro-Dampfdestillation-Lösungsmit-telextraktions-Apparat verwendet. Ethylendibromid wird bestimmt durch Electroneneinfang-Gaschromatographie unter Verwendung einer mit CPwax 51 belegten Capillarglaskolonne. Die absolute Nachweisgrenze für EDB ist 0.5 pg und die Ausbeute im Gebiet von 10 bis 50 g/kg ist 82 resp. 98%.Insgesamt wurden 75 Getreideprodukte und 19 getrocknete Früchteproben mit der Lösungsmittelextraktions-Technik analysiert. Mit dem schnellen Mikro-Dampfdestillation-Lösungsmittelextraktions-Verfahren wurden 22 Getreideproben untersucht.

     

Improving utilization of breast and cervical cancer screening in your office practice

It has been well documented that early detection and early intervention for breast and cervical cancer saves lives. However, the challenge is to ensure that physicians' practices are effective in implementing the standard guidelines for screening and that all women are screened and undergo appropriate follow-up. Early detection and intervention are imperative since African-American women are twice as likely as European-American women to die from breast cancer even though the incidence of breast cancer is lower. African-American women have fewer mammograms and are being diagnosed later after metastases have occurred. Studies also show that women are more likely to have mammograms if their physicians so advise. However, the most common reason women give for not obtaining mammograms is, "My doctor never recommended it." By using a simple critical path analysis tool to systematically evaluate an office practice and by implementing practical, simple principles, a physician can increase utilization of breast and cervical cancer screening.     

Maturation and senescence of an insect chemosensory response

Electroantennogram responses of male and femalePseudaletia unipuncta to the two major components of the presumed pheromone associated with the male anterior abdominal scent brushes vary with age. There is a postemergence period of maturation of responsiveness, followed by senescence. The age of maximum responsiveness differs according to the sex and to the compound tested.This research was supported in part by NSF grant BNS76-10268 and grants from the Killam Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation.     

Dodecyl acetate,a second pheromone component of the cabbage looper moth,Trichoplusia ni

Dodecyl acetate was identified as a second component of the sex pheromone ofTrichoplusia ni (Hübner). Dodecyl acetate comprised 9.6% by weight of the total pheromone [(Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate plus dodecyl acetate] extracted from glands and 7.3% by weight of the total pheromone evaporated from the surfaces of glands. Dodecyl acetate appears to function as a short-range pheromone component. Evaporation at female release rates of a 1090 mixture of dodecyl acetate and (Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate in the field caused a significantly greater percentage of males to land on the pheromone source, increased significantly the time they spent on the source, but decreased significantly the time they spent searching for the source when within 50 cm, as compared to (Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate alone.Lepidoptera: Noctuidae.     

Analytic variations on quadtrees

Quadtrees constitute a hierarchical data structure which permits fast access to multidimensional data. This paper presents the analysis of the expected cost of various types of searches in quadtrees — fully specified and partial-match queries. The data model assumes random points with independently drawn coordinate values.The analysis leads to a class of full-history divide-and-conquer recurrences. These recurrences are solved using generating functions, either exactly for dimensiond=2, or asymptotically for higher dimensions. The exact solutions involve hypergeometric functions. The general asymptotic solutions rely on the classification of singularities of linear differential equations with analytic coefficients, and on singularity analysis techniques.These methods are applicable to the asymptotic solution of a wide range of linear recurrences, as may occur in particular in the analysis of multidimensional searching problems.The work of Philippe Flajolet was supported in part by the Basic Research Action of the E.C. under Contract No. 3075 (Project ALCOM). A preliminary version of this paper has been presented in the form of an extended abstract at the Second Annual Symposium on Discrete Algorithms [13].     

X-ray microscopy of plant cells by using LiF crystal as a detector

A lithium fluoride (LiF) crystal has been utilized as a new soft X-ray detector to image different biological samples at a high spatial resolution. This new type of image detector for X-ray microscopy has many interesting properties: high resolution (nanometer scale), permanent storage of images, the ability to clear the image and reuse the LiF crystal, and high contrast with greater dynamic range. Cells of the unicellular green algae Chlamydomonas dysosmos and Chlorella sorokiniana, and pollen grains of Olea europea have been used as biological materials for imaging. The biological samples were imaged on LiF crystals by using the soft X-ray contact microscopy and contact micro-radiography techniques. The laser plasma soft X-ray source was generated using a Nd:YAG/Glass laser focused on a solid target. The X-ray energy range for image acquisition was in the water-window spectral range for single shot contact microscopy of very thin biological samples (single cells) and around 1 keV for multishots microradiography. The main aim of this article is to highlight the possibility of using a LiF crystal as a detector for the biological imaging using soft X-ray radiation and to demonstrate its ability to visualize the microstructure within living cells.     

High-resolution water window X-ray imaging of in vivo cells and their products using LiF crystal detectors

High contrast imaging of in vivo Chlorella sorokiniana cells with submicron spatial resolution was obtained with a contact water window X-ray microscopy technique using a point-like, laser-plasma produced, water-window X-ray radiation source, and LiF crystals as detectors. This novel type of X-ray imaging detectors is based on photoluminescence of stable electronic point defects, characterized by high intrinsic resolution. The fluorescence images obtained on LiF crystals exposed in single-shot experiments demonstrate the high sensitivity and dynamic range of this new detector. The powerful performances of LiF crystals allowed us to detect the exudates of Chlorella cells in their living medium and their spatial distribution in situ, without any special sample preparation.