Endodermal sinus tumor and embryonal carcinoma of the ovary in a 53-year-old woman

BACKGROUND: Germ cell tumors, the most common ovarian malignancies in females under the age of 21, are rare in older women. We report an unusual case of a mixed embryonal carcinoma and endodermal sinus germ cell tumor in a perimenopausal patient and review the differential diagnosis and management of these malignancies with respect to age. CASE: A 53-year-old woman complaining of irregular menses and pelvic pain was found to have a large pelvic mass and a positive pregnancy test. Subsequent investigation revealed a large left adnexal mass, and an elevated beta-HCG and alpha-AFP. At laparotomy, a mixed germ cell tumor was found. The patient was treated with multiagent chemotherapy and currently is without evidence of disease. CONCLUSION: Although rare, the diagnosis of germ cell tumor should be considered in older women presenting with a large pelvic mass. The treatment and prognosis is similar regardless of age, except that reproductive-sparing surgery is not a priority in the older patient.     

The therapeutic success of an analytic group-psychotherapy demonstrated objectively by the Giessen-test (author''s transl)

Results of follow-up examinations of 132 ears with serous or mucous middle ear effusions indicate that this disease is common in childhood and is also found in adults. In childhood adenoid growth as well as repeated catarrhal infection of the paranasal sinuses and the weakness of the levator palati play an important role in the development of middle ear effusions and deafness. With the aid of the operation microscope we were able to recognize this characteristic disease through the tympanic membrane. We perform regularly adenoidectomy together with paracentesis in this condition. In cases which had undergon several adenoidectomies we limit our treatment in the first instance to paracentesis. If cure is not so achieved we insert an inert tube into the tympanic membrane after the paracentesis. In persistent and difficult cases of glue ear radiation of the eustachion tube and antrotomy may be necessary.     

Cr-Si粉末冶金工艺及其物理-力学性能

粉末冶金制作法主要有热压(HP)、热等静压(HIP)及常压烧结(Sinter)三种.采用热压及热等静压法可以很容易地得到高致密化的高温金属硅化物,但若要进行大尺寸的产品烧结,必须提升生产设备的规格和能力,例如加大热压机力吨位、扩大热压炉腔体等,致使设备投资及生产成本相对昂贵.所以大部分厂商宁可采用常压烧结法,虽然该法的高致密化工艺条件不易控制,却因可以制作大尺寸金属硅化物,加上设备投资及生产成本相对降低,使许多大厂已投入相当大的人力和物力在开发此工艺.该文作者试用不同真空烧结温度,造成Cr-Si合金粉末烧结性质的差异,探讨稳定而可大量生产的可行性;并通过对温度的控制,来改善Cr-Si的物理性质与力学性质.结果表明,提高烧结温度会使Cr-Si合金产生部分液相烧结的现象,从而使孔隙率显著下降;但显微结构也随之有偏析与晶粒粗化的现象.     

SoC设计中的低功耗策略

低功耗设计已经成为片上系统(SoC)设计的主题.当今的设计已经从过去的性能、面积二维目标转变为性能、面积和功耗的三维目标.本文深入探讨了片上系统设计中的低功耗设计策略,在晶体管和逻辑门级、寄存器传输级和系统结构级各设计抽象层次上阐述了低功耗设计所面临的问题,并给出了各级的低功耗优化策略.     

Discrete pulse orthogonal functions for the analysis,parameter estimation and optimal control of linear time-varying digital systems

The analysis, parameter estimation and optimal control of linear time-varying digital systems are facilitated in this study. The discrete pulse orthogonal functions (DPOFs) and their operational matrices are taken as a sharp tool. The applications of DPOFs to digital control systems are analogous to those of the known block pulse functions (BPFs) in continuous systems. By applying the DPOFs, approximate solutions of digital time-varying systems can easily be obtained by convenient algorithms. Three examples are illustrated to demonstrate the proposed DPOF technique, and the approximate results are very accurate and satisfactory.     

SEPARATION OF STEROLS AND TRITERPENE ALCOHOLS FROM UNSAPONIFIABLE FRACTIONS OF THREE PLANT SEED OILS

Preparative HPLC was used to separate sterols and triterpene alcohols from the unsaponifiable matters in plant oils from Camellia weiningensis L., Brassica juncea L. and Microula sikkimensis . The isolated sterols and triterpene alcohols were acetylated and further purified by AgNO₃ impregnated silica gel preparative thin layer chromatography (TLC). The isolated acetyl derivatives of sterols and triterpene alcohols were identified by melting point, specific rotation, infrared and mass spectrometry. The sterols were brassicasterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol and Θ⁵-avenasterol, Θ⁷-avenasterol, Θ⁷-stigmastenol and α-spinasterol. The triterpene alcohols were cycloartanol, cycloartenol, 24-methylenecycloartanol, cyclobranol, dammaradienol, tirucalla-7,24-dienol, butyrospermol, β-amyrin, germanicol, α-4-taraxasterol and lupeol.