Results of transition zone biopsy in black and white men with suspected prostate cancer

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether biopsy-detectable transition zone tumors are more common in black than in white men with suspected Stage T1c and T2 prostate cancer. METHODS: We performed a prospective study of transition zone prostate biopsy (TZ biopsy) in 1 78 black and 261 white men who had not undergone previous prostate biopsy and in 61 black and 65 white men who had undergone one benign sextant peripheral zone prostate biopsy (PZ biopsy). RESULTS: The mean age of the 239 black and 326 white study patients was 68.6+/-7.4 and 67.2+/-7.2 years, respectively (P = 0.02), the mean prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was 8.4+/-7.4 and 6.4+/-5.4 ng/mL, respectively (P = 0.003), and the mean PSA density was 0.20+/-0.23 and 0.16+/-0.16 ng/mL/mL, respectively (P = 0.006). Overall, cancer was diagnosed by TZ biopsy only in 7 black men (3%) and in no white men (0%) (P = 0.003). However, cancer detection with a TZ biopsy only was not significantly different in the black and white men when controlled for age, PSA, or PSA density (P>0.90). A TZ biopsy only detected cancer in 1% of patients who had not undergone prior PZ biopsy and in 2% of patients who had undergone prior PZ biopsy. Of the seven cancers detected with TZ biopsy, six (86%) had a Gleason score of 2 to 6. CONCLUSIONS: Prostate cancer detection with a TZ biopsy only is not common and when controlled for confounding variables is the same in black and white men. The preferential use of TZ biopsies in black men is not warranted, and the low diagnostic yield argues against routine use of the biopsy technique in men of either race.     

Steroid content in endometrial tissue

Recent studies indicate beneficial effects of androgen depletion in male mice, before trauma-hemorrhage on cell-mediated immunity following soft-tissue trauma and hemorrhagic shock. Nonetheless, it remains unknown whether androgen receptor blockade following the insult has any salutary effects. To study this, male C3H/HeN mice were either sham-operated or subjected to soft-tissue trauma (i.e., 2.5 cm midline laparotomy) followed by hemorrhagic shock (blood pressure 35 +/- 5 mmHg for 90 min) and then adequately resuscitated (shed blood and lactated Ringer's). Immediately after the completion of resuscitation, as well as 24 and 48 h thereafter, the animals received either vehicle, 10 mg/kg body weight (BW) flutamide or 25 mg/kg BW flutamide subcutaneously. At 72 h after resuscitation, all animals were killed. The spleens and peritoneal macrophages (M phi) were then harvested and cultures established to determine IL-2 and IL-3 release, splenocyte proliferative capacity, as well as splenic and peritoneal M phi IL-1 release. Moreover, plasma testosterone and corticosterone levels were measured. Our results indicate that trauma-hemorrhage resulted in significant depression of splenocyte and M phi functions in vehicle-treated and animals receiving 10 mg/kg BW flutamide. Treatment with 25 mg/kg BW flutamide following trauma-hemorrhage, however, resulted in levels of cytokine release which were comparable with those found in sham-operated animals. No significant alterations in plasma corticosterone and testosterone levels were observed in any of the experimental groups. These findings indicate that short-term therapy of males with the androgen receptor blocker, flutamide at 25 mg/kg BW, following trauma-hemorrhage has protective effects on immune functions. This protective effect is dose dependent, since 10 mg/kg BW flutamide did not produce significant salutary effects. Thus, flutamide represents a novel and safe agent for improving the depressed functions in male trauma patients suffering severe blood loss.     

Effect of diuron on germ cells of mice

Diuron in both, acute (340 and 170 mg/kg body wt) and chronic (3400 ppm) doses induced dominant lethal mutations in male Swiss albino mice. The results suggest that diuron is mutagenic in dominant lethal test system.     

Calculation of DC Magnetic Flux Deviation in the Converter-Transformer of a Self-Commutated BTB System During Single-Line-to-Ground Faults

This paper deals with a 50-MW self-commutated Back-To-Back (BTB) system intended for power-flow control between transmission networks. It focuses on the dynamic behavior of the BTB system during single-line-to-ground (SLG) faults that often result in voltage sags. A non-negligible amount of dc magnetic flux deviation appears in the converter-transformers of the BTB system just after the occurrence and restoration of an SLG fault. The dc deviation may bring magnetic flux saturation and an excessive magnetizing current to the transformers. This paper derives theoretical equations related to the dc deviation with reasonable approximation. The theoretical results are confirmed by computer simulation.     

Begrenzung der Rissbreite nach Eurocode 2

Crack width control according to Eurocode 2 – Explanatory notes on factor k _c Reinforced concrete members are designed now according to EC2 [1]. A significant aspect is the determining of the minimum reinforcement area specified in section 7.3.2. Due to the shortened illustrations of the equations (7.1) and (7.2), the mechanical background is difficult to be highlighted. This often results in inaccurate use of the model parameters, which might lead to an unsafe design, particularly for members predominantly reinforced only by the minimum reinforcement. Therefore the mechanical background of the equations (7.1) and (7.2) is focused on in this contribution. Proper discussions and explanations might help the structural engineer in the practical design.     

Kinetics and modeling of the Fe(III)/H2O2 system in the presence of sulfate in acidic aqueous solutions

This work examined the effect of sulfate ions on the rate of decomposition of H2O2 by Fe(III) in homogeneous aqueous solutions. Experiments were carried out at 25 degrees C, pH < or = 3 and the concentrations of sulfate ranged from 0 to 200 mM ([Fe(III)]0 = 0.2 or 1 mM, [H2O2]0 = 10 or 50 mM). The spectrophometric study shows that addition of sulfate decreased the formation of iron(III)-peroxo complexes and that H2O2 does not form complexes with iron(III)-sulfato complexes. The rates of decomposition of H2O2 markedly decreased in the presence of sulfate. The measured rates were accurately predicted by a kinetic model based on reactions previously validated in NaClO4/HClO4 solutions and on additional reactions involving sulfate ions and sulfate radicals. At a fixed pH, the pseudo-first-order rate constants were found to decrease linearly with the molar fraction of Fe(II) complexed with sulfate. The model was also able to predict the rate of oxidation of a probe compound (atrazine) by Fe(III)/H2O2. Computer simulations indicate that the decrease of the rate of oxidation of organic solutes by Fe(III)/H2O2 can be mainly attributed to the complexation of Fe(III) by sulfate ions, while sulfate radicals play a minor role on the overall reaction rates.     

Semivolatile organic compounds in window films from lower Manhattan after the September 11th World Trade Center attacks

The September 11th World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks resulted in the large-scale release of contaminants that were deposited on the environment of New York City (NYC). Six weeks after the attacks, samples of an organic film on window surfaces were collected and analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCN), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). Concentrations dropped by an order of magnitude within 1 km of the WTC and reached background concentrations by 3.5 km. Concentrations within 1 km of the WTC averaged 3280 ng/m2 for sigmaPBDE, 900 ng/m2 for sigmaPCB, 33 ng/m2 for sigmaPCN, and 77100 ng/m2 for sigmaPAH. Congener profiles of the sites nearest the WTC suggested a combination of combustion and evaporative sources of all compounds, whereas the background sites exhibited profiles consistent with evaporative sources. PBDE profiles showed enrichment in lower molecular weight congeners near the WTC, suggesting that these congeners were formed as a result of the combustion conditions. Homologue fractions of PCN combustion markers were approximately 2-9 times greater at near WTC sites compared to background NYC. Gas-phase air concentrations were back-calculated from measured film concentrations using the film-air partition coefficient (KFA), and calculated air concentrations followed spatial trends observed in films.