Impact of tumor extent and location on treatment outcome in patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer treated with radiation therapy

The survival probability is 79% for patients with neuroblastoma stage 4S treated according to the German Society for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology (GPOH) treatment studies. Most of these patients (80%) have liver metastases. Patients are grouped according to their condition at diagnosis and tumour resectability to different risk groups (A, B, C). Chemotherapy is provided for patients who are initially diagnosed as critically ill, caused for example by excessive hepatomegaly due to liver metastases. The aim of this study is to clarify whether liver infiltration is associated with liver dysfunction and whether chemotherapy plays a role in this process. Hepatopathy was diagnosed when clinical signs were present and/or liver function tests revealed pathologic results. The charts of 48 patients (22 boys, 26 girls) diagnosed between 1990 and 1994 from the ongoing NB-90 treatment study were evaluated retrospectively. Median age at diagnosis was 52 days (range: 1-328). 41 patients (85%) had liver infiltration, 26 patients (54%) had bone marrow involvement and in nine patients (19%) skin metastases were found. 12 patients were in poor general condition at diagnosis (risk group C). 36 of 48 patients (75%) received chemotherapy, three children were treated with radiotherapy additionally, due to massive liver enlargement. 15 patients (31%) had signs of hepatic dysfunction at diagnosis or during their illness, 14 of these had liver metastases. All these 15 patients were treated with chemotherapy. 12 of 15 patients with hepatopathy were younger than two months at diagnosis. Five patients with liver dysfunction were not critically ill at diagnosis. Hepatomegaly > or = 6 cm was present in 10 of 15 patients with liver dysfunction. Hepatopathy was transient in eight patients, four patients died soon of multiorgan failure during progression of disease. Three children developed liver fibrosis with conversion to cirrhosis. Hepatopathy was correlated with distribution to risk groups (A and B (5/36) vs. C (10/12), p < 0.001). The appearance of hepatic dysfunction in patients with neuroblastoma stage 4S remains a serious problem especially for young children with excessive hepatic infiltration. Liver dysfunction was of short duration and reversible in most patients, however, even with age-adapted dosages of chemotherapy long-standing cases of hepatopathy were observed. A general recommendation for treatment strategy in this heterogeneous patient group is difficult. Attention should be given to for this complication.     

A single-chip MPEG-2 codec based on customizable media embedded processor

A single-chip MPEG-2 MP@ML codec, integrating 3.8M gates on a 72-mm/sup 2/ die, is described. The codec employs a heterogeneous multiprocessor architecture in which six microprocessors with the same instruction set but different customization execute specific tasks such as video and audio concurrently. The microprocessor, developed for digital media processing, provides various extensions such as a very-long-instruction-word coprocessor, digital signal processor instructions, and hardware engines. Making full use of the extensions and optimizing the architecture of each microprocessor based upon the nature of specific tasks, the chip can execute not only MPEG-2 MP@ML video/audio/system encoding and decoding concurrently, but also MPEG-2 MP@HL decoding in real time.     

Fusion-driven transmutation of selected long-lived fission products

The long-term radiological burden associated with nuclear power production is usually attributed to long-lived fission products (LLFP). Their lifetime and large equilibrium mass and hence radioactivity accumulated in the course of fission energy generation make their storage a rather formidable task to solve. Therefore the idea of artificial incineration of LLFP through their transmutation has been quite naturally incorporated into the concept of self-consistent nuclear energy system (SCNES) based primarily on fast breeder reactor technologies. However it is now acknowledged that neutron environment of fission facilities including fast breeder reactors does not seem most appropriate for LLFP transmutation. The issue has been then extensively developed within the framework of multi-component self-consistent nuclear energy system (MC-SCNES). Neutrons of specific quality required for LLFP transmutation are proposed there to be of non-fission origin. Given neutron excess available and neutron quality, a fusion neutron source (FNS) is appearing as the candidate No. 1 to consider for LLFP transmutation. Research on LLFP transmutation by means of FNS has very long history and has received an additional boost during the decade passed. In the present study, potential of thermal flux blanket of FNS is exemplified by transmutation of ⁹³Zr and ¹²⁶Sn, the most difficult LLFP to transmute. It is shown that transmutation of ⁹³Zr is effective even with a rather modest neutron loading of 1 MWt·m⁻², typical for ITER project. Transmutation of ¹²⁶Sn, however, requires neutron loading of as high as 3 MWt·m⁻² for DD fusion and is quite unattractive for DT fusion. In the latter case, transmutation through the threshold (n,2n) reaction may be preferable.     

A 1.71-million transistor CMOS CPU chip with a testable cachearchitecture

A 1.71-million transistor CISC CPU chip for the business computer has been developed. The chip is implemented in a 0.8-μm CMOS double-polysilicon double-metal technology. The 16.3-mm×12.7-mm device contains a 16-kilobyte cache and 192 entries TLB and operates at 40 MHz. The sustained high performance in a complexed instruction set has been realized by a large horizontal microprogram that controls two 32-b ALU's. The cache and TLB employ a 77-μm² SRAM using load resistors formed by the second polysilicon; these are accessed in one-half clock cycle and are tested at an 8 bytes per clock rate utilizing a new test strategy     

A case of coronary artery bypass grafting for single coronary artery complicated by angina pectoris

A case of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for single coronary artery complicated by angina pectoris (AP) was reported. The patient was a 74-year-old male, complained of anginal discomforts. His single coronary artery originated in left coronary sinus, bifurcated to the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and the circumflex artery (CX), and then, an abnormal communicating branch, passing in front of the right ventricular outflow, was branched from the proximal region of LAD; it showed a route corresponding to the proximal region of the right coronary artery (RCA). The distal region of RCA and the posterior descending artery were angiographed in continuity from CX. Other findings included 75%-stenosis at LAD-#6 and 90%-stenosis at CX-#13. Using two saphenous vein grafts, CABG operation was carried out on those regions at LAD-#7 and distal CX corresponding to #3 normally. Postoperatively, anginal discomforts disappeared, and favorable results were obtained.     

Adrenomedullary hyperplasia associated with cortisol producing adenoma

We report a case of a 58-year-old man with adrenal medullary hyperplasia associated with cortisol producing adenoma. Preoperative examination showed both adrenocortical and adrenomedullary hyperfunction. No Cushingoid sign was present and pheochromocytoma-like symptoms were predominant. Abdominal computerized tomography revealed a left adrenal tumor stained by contrast medium. Histologically, the adrenal tumor was found to be a cortical adenoma, and medullary hyperplasia was observed in the remaining parenchyma.     

Gene transfer of herpes simplex virus type I thymidine kinase gene as a drug sensitivity gene into human lung cancer cell lines using retroviral vectors

A number of packaging materials are being used not only to contain food during distribution but also to serve as the cooking container. The higher temperatures that these materials reach led the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue an intent to publish new regulations in 1989. The food and packaging industries responded by conducting extensive research and submitting the results to FDA. The methods used and results obtained are discussed. Most of the data were focused on microwave susceptors and the volatile compounds generated. One project showed that for a specific product, popcorn, there was no transfer into the food. Work is continuing to validate methods to test for non-volatile compounds. In addition to susceptors, various paper and plastic materials are used in dual ovenable (microwave and conventional ovens) applications. Most of the research on these materials has investigated the food contact temperatures on testing for migrants. An update on the current regulatory status of packaging materials intended for high temperature use in the US is discussed.     

Transadventitial localisation of atheromatous plaques by fluorescence emission spectrum analysis of mono-L-aspartyl chlorin e6

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to demonstrate specific detection of the fluorescence spectra of mono-L-aspartyl chlorin e6 (NPe6) emitted from atherosclerotic arterial lesions using an extravascular approach. METHODS: Cholesterol fed atherosclerotic rabbits were injected intravenously with 0.5 mg.kg-1 of NPe6. A fluorescence spectrum analysis system with a dual real time imaging system and a flexible endoscopic catheter was used. The pulsed excimer dye laser excited the photosensitiser. The fluorescence spectra were measured by a fluorescence spectrophotometer. RESULTS: Analysis of fluorescence spectra detected from outside the adventitia showed that a fluorescence spectrum peak at 675 nm was obtained only in parts of the artery with an atheromatous plaque; however, no fluorescence could be shown in aortic segments free of atheroma. It was also noted that the intensity of the specific peak of the spectrum detected from outside a vessel was closely related to the depth of atheromatous lesions, as determined by histological analysis. An in vivo study revealed good correlation between the peak intensity (which could vary with the amount of NPe6 accumulated in the tissue) measured laparoscopically from outside the abdominal aorta and the peak intensity measured angioscopically from inside the abdominal aorta. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to detect atheroma from outside a vessel by fluorescence spectrum analysis employing NPe6 as the probe.     

Glutathione S-transferase-pi is secreted as a monomer into human plasma by platelets and tumor cells

WY-14,643 (WY) and methylclofenapate (MCP) are peroxisome proliferators (PP) and hepatocarcinogens in rats. MCP causes hepatic polyploidization and preferentially induces replicative DNA synthesis in binucleate tetraploid hepatocytes (2 X 2N) in young Alpk:AP rats. To compare the effect of WY and MCP on hepatocyte ploidy and ploidy-specific DNA synthesis, male F344 rats were fed WY (0.1% in diet) or gavaged with MCP (25 mg/kg/day in corn oil) for 2, 5, or 10 days. Four rats per treatment group (including corn oil and diet control groups) were euthanized and the livers perfused at each time point. To identify cells undergoing DNA synthesis, all animals received BrdU by continuous infusion for 2 or 5 days prior to euthanasia. Hepatocyte ploidy and DNA synthesis were determined using one- or two-parameter flow cytometry. Averages +/- SEM for adult male F344 rats as a percentage of total hepatocytes for each ploidy subclass are 2N = 3.4 +/- 0.7%, 4N = 69.9 +/- 1.9%, 2 X 2N = 14.4 +/- 2.4%, 8N = 2.2 +/- 0.4%, and 2 X 4N = 9.6 +/- 0.9%. Significant alterations were not induced in the proportions of 2 X 2N or 4N ploidy subclasses by WY or MCP at any time point. However, WY caused increases in 8N hepatocytes at 2, 5, and 10 days (2 days, 5.2% vs 2.2% for controls; 5 days, 7.0% vs 3.1% for controls; 10 days, 6.4% vs 3.6% for controls) as did MCP at 5 and 10 days (5 days, 6.3% vs 2.5% for controls; 10 days, 5.3% vs 2.9% for controls). In addition, a majority of BrdU-containing hepatocytes were 4N following 5 and 10 days of WY and MCP [34.3% (WY) and 16.8% (MCP) vs 1.8% and 1.1% for controls, respectively, for 2 X 2N (5 days) as a percentage of total hepatocytes]. Hepatocytes with intermediary DNA content (between tetraploid and octaploid) from MCP- and WY-treated rats were predominantly mononuclear, the percentage of binucleate hepatocytes being similar to or less than the percentage of binucleate cells within the total tetraploid hepatocyte population. These data suggest that polyploidization is induced by PP and induction of S-phase by WY and MCP occurs primarily in 4N hepatocytes in mature F344 rats and not within 2 X 2N hepatocytes. Identification of a ploidy subpopulation at risk for tumor development in rodents is essential for clarifying the role of cell replication in risk assessment studies of PP.