Single-agent paclitaxel in patients with previously untreated stage IV epithelial ovarian cancer. London Gynaecological Oncology and North Thames Gynaecological Oncology Groups

OBJECTIVES: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a widely used serum marker for human prostate cancer (PCa). The majority of PSA in serum is present as a complex with alpha-1-antichymotrypsin (ACT). In recent years, the ratio of free (uncomplexed) to total PSA has shown improved discrimination of PCa from benign prostatic hyperplasia. This study examines the nature of the free PSA from detected in PCa serum and shows that some of the uncomplexed PSA is an inactive precursor of PSA (pPSA). METHODS: Western blot analysis was used to detect clipped, fragment forms of PSA in sera and seminal fluid. Hydrophobic interaction chromatography-high performance liquid chromatography (HIC-HPLC) was used to identify forms of PSA present in the free PSA population. Pooled sera was passed over a PSA immunoaffinity column, and the eluted PSA components were further resolved by HIC-HPLC. RESULTS: Western blot analysis of whole sera showed complexed PSA and the intact, approximately 34 kilodalton free PSA. Only negligible levels of clipped or degraded forms of PSA, as found in seminal fluid, were detected. Column fractions measured for uncomplexed PSA using the Tandem-MP free PSA assay showed that about 25% of the free PSA eluted as pPSA beginning at the [-4]amino acid. Studies with purified recombinant [-4]pPSA showed that this proenzyme form is inactive and does not complex with ACT. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the uncomplexed PSA in PCa serum is primarily unclipped PSA that contains a significant fraction of pPSA.     

Grazing by a resident macrozooplankton community and non-resident Daphnia carinata King: A preliminary in situ incubation study

A 24 h incubation study was conducted in situ in Manly Dam reservoir, Sydney, Australia. The study aimed to evaluate the relative effectiveness of grazing on phytoplankton by a resident macrozooplankton community, dominated by the cladoceran Ceriodaphnia and some copepods, in comparison with grazing by added, non-resident Daphnia carinata in the absence of the resident macrozooplankton community. Although there was some variability in the measured grazing rates among incubation bottles (volume: 1.28 L), D. carinata with a mean body size of 30.8 μg dry weight were more efficient grazers than the reservoir macrozooplankton community with a mean body size of 2.5 μg dry weight. The weight-specific clearance rate of D. carinata was 2–65 times higher than that of the resident reservoir community for five taxa of reservoir phytoplankton examined. In comparing the evidence from the literature on the limited ability of D. carinata to graze on cyanobacteria, a management strategy using D. carinata for the reduction of phytoplankton biomass may need to be considered separately from one designed to specifically control undesirable taxa, such as the cyanobacteria Microcystis and Anabaena .     

Blebs in the mouse cerebellar granular layer as a sign of structural inhomogeneity. 1. Anterior lobe vermis

Blood previously acidified with aqueous saturated ammonium chloride solution was extracted with ethyl acetate. The dried extract was subjected to acetonitrile-hexane partition. The acetonitrile portion was analysed for the presence of acidic and neutral drugs by HPLC-DAD (200 mm x 2.1 mm I.D. microbore ODS-Hypersil column) and GC-FID (25 m narrow-bore x 0.25 mm I.D. HP-5 column with 0.33 micron film thickness). The protocol was found to be suitable for both clinical toxicology (including emergency toxicology) and postmortem toxicology. At least 66 drugs of interest were unequivocally identified by RRTs (HPLC) and UV spectra (DAD) match while another 12 were unequivocally identified by double RRTs match (HPLC and GC). Quantitation was facilitated by incorporating calibration blood standards in each assay batch. The five drugs most commonly encountered in clinical blood specimens (1150 cases) were: paracetamol (47.4% of the cases); chlormezanone (6.6%), theophylline (1.74%), naproxen (1.65%) and mefenamic acid (1.56%). The following drugs were detected in toxicologically significant quantities in postmortem blood specimens (245 cases): phenobarbitone (1.22% of the cases), naproxen (0.82%), chlormezanone (0.82%), theophylline (0.82%), carbamazepine (0.41%) and paracetamol (0.41%).     

Chronic illness, pain and health behaviors of community behavioral health clients.

Persons with comorbid medical disorders, along with substance use disorders and mental illness, present complex treatment needs that are seldom addressed. Chronic physical illness negatively affects treatment participation and retention, decreasing effectiveness. Studies documenting higher medical morbidity and mortality in such persons have long been available. Less is known about their health behaviors. Respondents (n = 418) at a community behavioral health center were surveyed for prevalence of illness, pain, health behaviors, and interest in lifestyle change. A total of 73% reported at least one chronic health problem, and nearly half rated their health between fair and very poor. Most reported at least one negative health indicator or behavior (e.g., smoking). Encouragingly, nearly 50% desired lifestyle changes including smoking cessation, exercise, and stress management. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to `surface snow properties effects on millimeter-wavebackscatter' (May 1988 300-306)

In the above mentioned paper (ibid., vol.26, no.3, May 1988) the exponential coefficients of percent liquid water content V_W in Table II are too large in magnitude by a factor of 10 (i.e. -0.990 should be -0.0990, etc.)     

'Testing, testing' [product testing]

Accelerating the functional test of telecommunication products can lead to significant productivity gains. The author describes the development and use of embedded test software in telecomms manufacturing. The move to an embedded test environment delivered many technical and financial benefits. This approach may not suit all manufacturing environments, but the potential benefits should be analysed against the current test process, production volume, skill sets and current financial investment.     

Open surgical treatment of anterior glenohumeral instability: an historical perspective and review of the literature. Part II

Anterior glenohumeral instability is an undesirable result of trauma to the shoulder. Several surgical treatments for this condition have been developed, beginning in the early years of the twentieth century. Although many of these procedures were popular at their inception, many of them have fallen out of favor as more information has been acquired concerning the long-term results and complications of their use. While often successful in preventing recurrent instability, these earlier procedures also often led to a loss of external rotation, and consequently, function. Newer procedures have been devised that aim to prevent recurrent instability while maintaining full range of motion and function. Part I of this paper, published in the November issue, presented a brief history of the treatment of glenohumeral instability and a review of the literature, including the Bankart and du Toit procedures. Part II includes the Putti-Platt, the Magnuson-Stack, the Bristow, and capsular shift procedures.