In vitro growth and drug sensitivity of tumor colony-forming units from human tumor xenografts

To investigate the feasibility of using tissue obtained from human tumor xenografts for in vitro screening of antineoplastic agents, we grew human tumor colony-forming units (CFU) in semisold agar from xenografts serially passaged in nude mice. Growth of human tumor CFU was accomplished from nine xenografts representing five different histological tumor types (ovarian carcinoma, adenocarcinoma of the colon, malignant melanoma, epidermoid carcinoma of the lung, and malignant astrocytoma). Cloning efficiency ranged from 0.04 to 0.1% and showed significant variability both between tumor types and between individual animals bearing the same type of xenograft. A high percentage of tumor CFU was in S phase [47 +/- 20% (S.D.)] as determined by the thymidine "suicide" technique. The number of tumor CFU observed increased linearly with increasing numbers of cells plated. In vitro drug sensitivity of the tumor CFU was assessed to Adriamycin, cis-platinum, and melphalan. The patterns of drug sensitivity were found to be reproducible and stable over a period of 9 months. Drug sensitivity curves to Adriamycin for five xenografts representing four tumor types showed complex patterns with plateau portions similar to those described for tumor CFU from primary tumors. The rank order of sensitivity of the tumors was compared to that of normal granulocyte-macrophage progenitors and, with the exception of the melanomas, was found to correlate well with clinical experience (order of sensitivity = colon less than ovary less than bone marrow). Growth of human tumor CFU from xenografts represents a reproducible and stable means for the study of the biology of tumor CFU and has potential applications as a means for screening new anticancer agents.     

Memory and Emotions for the September 11, 2001, Terrorist Attacks in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease, Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Healthy Older Adults.

National traumatic events can produce extremely vivid memories. Using a questionnaire administered during telephone interviews, the authors investigated emotional responses to, and memory for. the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and healthy older adults in the initial weeks following the event and again 3-4 months later. There were several notable findings. First, patients with AD showed less memory than patients with MCI and older adults. Second, patients with AD, but not patients with MCI or older adults, appeared to retain more memory for personal versus factual information. Third, patients with AD and older adults did not differ in the intensity of their reported emotional responses to the attacks, whereas patients with MCI reported relatively less intense emotional responses. Last, distortions of memory for personal information were frequent for all participants but were more common in patients with AD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Susceptibility to tropical theileriosis of calves born to dams immunized with Theileria annulata (Hisar) cell culture vaccine

Epidemiological evidence suggests that millet might play a role in the etiology of endemic goiter. Recently, we showed that a traditional fermentation procedure of two pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum L. Lecke) cultivars grown in Sudan modified their effects on the weight of the thyroid gland and thyroid hormone profile in rats. In the present study, we report that this fermentation procedure reduced the ash contents of millet by about 40% and removed considerable amounts of Mg (>50%), Zn (27-39%) and K (45%). Other minerals (Ca, Fe, Cu) were not affected. Feeding of one fermented cultivar resulted in significant reduction in bone Mg and Zn contents, whereas feeding of the other fermented cultivar resulted in reduction of bone Mg only. Dietary Mg intake and bone Mg contents correlated negatively with serum T3. Groups fed the millet diets had higher serum Se level compared to those fed wheat or casein diets and feeding of fermented millet resulted in a further increase in serum Se level. Thus our data indicate that in rats the enhanced effects of millet on the thyroid induced by fermentation is likely related to removal of minerals from millet and/or chemical transformation of the goitrogens contained in millet.     

A preclinical study of the effect of the animal polysaccharide chonsurid on reparative osteogenesis of the jaws

Experimental studies making use of morphological and x-ray methods demonstrated that in comparison with control (filling of mandibular bone defects with blood clots) chonsuride, an animal polysaccharide, promoted earlier filling of postoperative bone cavities with connective tissue replacement of this tissue with coarse-fiber bone tissue. Secondary restructuring and mineralization of bone regenerate were enhanced as well.     

Transformation calibration of a camera mounted on a robot

The paper describes the accurate calibration of the camera transformation for a vision system consisting of a camera mounted on a robot. The calibration includes an analysis of the linearity of the camera. A knowledge of the camera transformation allows the three-dimensional position of the object points to be determined using triangulation.     

Neurocognitive signs in prodromal Huntington disease.

Objective: PREDICT-HD is a large-scale international study of people with the Huntington disease (HD) CAG-repeat expansion who are not yet diagnosed with HD. The objective of this study was to determine the stage in the HD prodrome at which cognitive differences from CAG-normal controls can be reliably detected. Method: For each of 738 HD CAG-expanded participants, we computed estimated years to clinical diagnosis and probability of diagnosis in 5 years based on age and CAG-repeat expansion number (Langbehn, Brinkman, Falush, Paulsen, & Hayden, 2004). We then stratified the sample into groups: NEAR, estimated to be ≤9 years; MID, between 9 and 15 years; and FAR, ≥15 years. The control sample included 168 CAG-normal participants. Nineteen cognitive tasks were used to assess attention, working memory, psychomotor functions, episodic memory, language, recognition of facial emotion, sensory–perceptual functions, and executive functions. Results: Compared with the controls, the NEAR group showed significantly poorer performance on nearly all of the cognitive tests and the MID group on about half of the cognitive tests (p = .05, Cohen's d NEAR as large as ?1.17, MID as large as ?0.61). One test even revealed significantly poorer performance in the FAR group (Cohen's d = ?0.26). Individual tasks accounted for 0.2% to 9.7% of the variance in estimated proximity to diagnosis. Overall, the cognitive battery accounted for 34% of the variance; in comparison, the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale motor score accounted for 11.7%. Conclusions: Neurocognitive tests are robust clinical indicators of the disease process prior to reaching criteria for motor diagnosis of HD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Molecular Heterojunctions of Oligo(phenylene ethynylene)s with Linear to Cruciform Framework

Electrical transport properties of molecular junctions are fundamentally affected by the energy alignment between molecular frontier orbitals (highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) or lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO)) and Fermi level (or work function) of electrode metals. Dithiafulvene (DTF) is used as substituent group to the oligo(phenylene ethynylene) (OPE) molecular wires and different molecular structures based on OPE3 backbone (with linear to cruciform framework) are achieved, with viable molecular orbitals and HOMO–LUMO energy gaps. OPE3, OPE3–DTF, and OPE3–tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) can form good self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Au substrates. Molecular heterojunctions based on these SAMs are investigated using conducting probe–atomic force microscopy with different tips (Ag, Au, and Pt) and Fermi levels. The calibrated conductance values follow the sequence OPE3–TTF > OPE3–DTF > OPE3 irrespective of the tip metal. Rectification properties (or diode behavior) are observed in case of the Ag tip for which the work function is furthest from the HOMO levels of the OPE3s. Quantum chemical calculations of the transmission qualitatively agree with the experimental data and reproduce the substituent effect of DTF. Zero‐bias conductance, and symmetric or asymmetric couplings to the electrodes are investigated. The results indicate that improved fidelity of molecular transport measurements may be achieved by systematic studies of homologues series of molecular wires applying several different metal electrodes.     

Comparative study on the heat transfer performance of micro-grooved anodized thermosyphon with R134a,R600a and R717 for low-temperature applications

Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology - A comparative heat transfer performance of an internally grooved anodized thermosyphon with eco-friendly refrigerants is presented in this study....     

Molecular Dynamics and Evolution of Centromeres in the Genus Equus

The centromere is the chromosomal locus essential for proper chromosome segregation. While the centromeric function is well conserved and epigenetically specified, centromeric DNA sequences are typically composed of satellite DNA and represent the most rapidly evolving sequences in eukaryotic genomes. The presence of satellite sequences at centromeres hampered the comprehensive molecular analysis of these enigmatic loci. The discovery of functional centromeres completely devoid of satellite repetitions and fixed in some animal and plant species represented a turning point in centromere biology, definitively proving the epigenetic nature of the centromere. The first satellite-free centromere, fixed in a vertebrate species, was discovered in the horse. Later, an extraordinary number of satellite-free neocentromeres had been discovered in other species of the genus Equus, which remains the only mammalian genus with numerous satellite-free centromeres described thus far. These neocentromeres arose recently during evolution and are caught in a stage of incomplete maturation. Their presence made the equids a unique model for investigating, at molecular level, the minimal requirements for centromere seeding and evolution. This model system provided new insights on how centromeres are established and transmitted to the progeny and on the role of satellite DNA in different aspects of centromere biology.