Acute erythroleukemia: evaluation of 48 cases with reference to classification, cell proliferation, cytogenetics, and prognosis

We evaluated 48 archival cases of acute erythroleukemia and divided them into 3 groups: M6a, corresponding to the traditional French-American-British M6 category; M6b, which is pure erythroleukemia; and M6c, in which myeloblasts and pronormoblasts each account for more than 30% of cells by the French-American-British exclusion criteria. No significant differences were noted among the subtypes for ratio of males to females; age; or exposure to toxins, alcohol, or both. However, compared with the patients in the M6a group, patients in the M6b and M6c groups demonstrated a statistically significant increase in cytogenetic aberrations, proliferation markers (proliferating cell nuclear antigen and Ki67), and ringed (type III) sideroblasts. Marked survival differences were noted between the M6a (30.1 +/- 29.5 months) and M6b (3.15 +/- 4.2 months) groups, with patients in the M6c group demonstrating an intermediate prognosis (10.5 +/- 12.7 months). Chemotherapeutic regimens induced remission in all treated patients in the M6a and M6c groups but did not appear to affect the M6b group. However, the patients in the M6c group remained in remission for a significantly shorter period of time than did patients in the M6a group. Overall, survival appeared to depend on the ratio of pronormoblasts to myeloblasts at diagnosis and demonstrated a rapid decline with increasing pronormoblast and decreasing myeloblast counts. We must, therefore, devise chemotherapeutic regimens that target both blastic components of this disease.     

The association of intra-abdominal infection and abdominal wound dehiscence

Concurrent infection is a risk factor for abdominal wound dehiscence. We reviewed our experience with fascial dehiscence to determine the incidence and to identify prognostic factors for associated intra-abdominal infection. Over a 7-year period, 107 patients with abdominal wound dehiscence were identified. Seventeen were managed nonoperatively, and 90 underwent exploratory laparotomy, 43 of whom had no intra-abdominal pathology and 47 of whom had intra-abdominal infections. Demographic factors, comorbid diseases, and potential indicators of systemic infection did not distinguish patients with intra-abdominal infection from those without. Patients with an intra-abdominal infection were more likely to have undergone an emergency operation (74% vs 48%; P < 0.02), an operation on the colon (55% vs 25%; P < 0.005), or an operation with a higher wound classification (P < 0.02). Mortality was higher in patients with intra-abdominal infection than in those without (44% vs 20%; P < 0.02). Wound dehiscence after emergent operations, and operations with a higher wound classification, especially those involving the colon, should raise concern for intra-abdominal infection. Thorough abdominal exploration should be performed at the time of dehiscence repair. Before nonoperative management is chosen, intra-abdominal infection should be excluded.     

VISCOMETRIC FLOWS OF NEUTRALLY BUOYANT SUSPENSIONS IN SECOND-ORDER FLUIDS

The local volume averages of the equations of motion as well as the appropriate boundary conditions for neutrally buoyant suspensions of spheres in second-order fluids (Li and Slattery, 1989a) are employed to analyze both the cone-plate viscometer and the parallel-plate viscometer. The predicted results are compared with measurements of apparent viscosity and of the primary normal stress difference. Predictions of measured apparent viscosities are in excellent agreement with the experimental data up to 20% solids by volume; the average error is no more than 5%. Predictions of apparent viscosities for the limiting case of a very dilute suspension are restricted to less than 10% solids by volume. The primary normal stress difference is predicted to be independent of the volume fraction of solids, in approximate agreement with previously reported data.

Both theory and experiment have demonstrated that a neutrally buoyant suspension of uniform spheres in an incompressible second-order fluid behaves like a single-phase second-order fluid in these two viscometers.     

An Objective Method to Prioritize Socio‐Environmental Water Management Tradeoffs Using Multi‐Criteria Decision Analysis

Rivers provide many social and environmental services that benefit humanity. A critical role of water mangers is to prioritize water allocation options that trade off socio‐economic and hydro‐ecological benefits in rivers. Methods for multi‐criteria decision analysis (MCDA) provide a structured and systematic manner for researchers to aid in this process. In this paper, we describe a new MCDA method that prioritizes large multi‐dimensional sets of tradeoffs to support well‐informed water management in rivers. The method was developed based on an environmental flows planning study in the Goulburn‐Broken River catchment, Victoria, Australia. A combined simulation and heuristic optimization procedure was previously integrated into a hydrological catchment network model. That process resulted in a large set of viable daily water allocation schedules that traded off long‐term irrigation and hydro‐ecological benefits at the catchment outlet. We provided new guidance procedures to identify priority tradeoffs that can be used in stakeholder deliberations and catchment decision‐making. Our MCDA method included combined multi‐dimensional ordination and cluster analysis to spread the water allocation alternatives onto a two‐dimensional plane to discover alternatives with similar criteria tradeoffs. A geometric distance‐based method was performed on the full set of alternatives and on the identified clusters to rank the alternatives in accordance with minimizing the distance of the alternatives to an ideal but non‐feasible reference point in multi‐dimensional space. This method complements the use of elicitation procedures when water manager or other stakeholder interaction is not an option or when objectivity is desired. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microstructure and creep behavior in AE42 magnesium die-casting alloy

The micro structural analysis of die-cast AE42 reveals a correlation between micro structure and creep strength. A lamellar-phase Al₁₁RE₃, which dominates the interdendritic microstructure of the alloy, partly decomposes above 150‡C into Al₂RE and Al (forming Mg₁₇Al₁₂). The increased solubility of aluminum in magnesium at higher temperatures may also promote the decomposition of Al₁₁RE₃. The creep strength decreases sharply with these phase changes. A mechanism for the decrease in creep strength of AE42 is proposed whereby the reduced presence of lamellar Al1₁₁RE₃ and/or the presence of Mg₁₇Al₁₂ contribute to the observed poor creep strength at higher temperatures.     

Magnesium technology 2002, part I: Primary production,environmental issues,high-temperature alloys

Conclusion It is expected that the research in high-temperature alloy development will reach a critical mass in about five years. This will not only raise the materials science of magnesium to a higher level but will also increase the confidence of the industry in magnesium as a structural performance material. Currently, applications are being actively pursued in United States Council for Automotive Research power train programs and European Council for Automotive R&D engine block programs to develop the technology for elevated-temperature magnesium. More research is still needed in this interesting materials field.     

Natural ligands of the B cell adhesion molecule CD22 beta can be masked by 9-O-acetylation of sialic acids

CD22 beta is a B cell-restricted phosphoprotein expressed on the surface of mature resting B cells. It mediates interactions with other cells partly or exclusively via recognition of alpha 2-6-linked sialic acids on glycoconjugates. The sialylated N-linked oligosaccharides recognized best by CD22 beta are common to many glycoproteins, suggesting that additional regulatory mechanisms may exist. Since the exocyclic side chain of sialic acid is required for recognition, we explored the effects of a naturally occurring modification of the side chain, 9-O-acetylation. Semisynthetic N-linked oligosaccharides terminating with 9-O-acetylated, alpha 2-6-linked sialic acids showed markedly reduced binding to CD22 beta relative to their non-O-acetylated counterparts. Murine lymphoid cells were probed for natural CD22 beta ligands that might be O-acetylated using recombinant soluble forms of CD22 beta (CD22 beta Rg) and influenza C esterase (CHE-Fc, which specifically removes 9-O-acetyl esters from sialic acids). By flow cytometry analysis, CD22 beta Rg binding to splenic B cells and a subset of T cells was increased by pretreatment with CHE-Fc, indicating that some potential CD22 beta ligands are naturally "masked" by 9-O-acetylation. Unmasking of these CD22 beta ligands by removal of 9-O-acetyl esters from intact splenocytes substantially increases their CD22 beta-dependent adhesion in an in vitro adhesion assay. Probing of murine lymphoid tissue sections by CD22 beta Rg and CHE-Fc treatment demonstrates regionally restricted and differentially expressed patterns of distribution between masked and unmasked ligands. For example, lymph node-associated follicular B cells express high levels of CD22 beta ligands, none of which are masked by 9-O-acetylation. In contrast, the ligands on lymph node-associated dendritic cells are almost completely masked by 9-O-acetylation, suggesting that masking may regulate interactions between CD22 beta-positive B cells and dendritic cells. In the thymus, only medullary cells express CD22 beta ligands, and a significant portion of these are masked by 9-O-acetylation, particularly at the cortical-medullary junction. Thus, 9-O-acetylation of sialic acids on immune cells is in a position to negatively regulate CD22 beta adhesion events in a manner depending on both cell type and tissue localization.     

Management of early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer

"Early" epithelial ovarian carcinoma encompasses a spectrum of patients with diseases that have markedly different survivals, ranging from indolent lesions truly confined to the ovary to high-grade lesions that have a significant chance of occult metastasis at the time of diagnosis. The basic principles of management rest on an adequate primary surgical procedure that removes all gross disease and accurately assesses the sites at risk for metastasis with a comprehensive staging laparotomy. After a comprehensive staging laparotomy, patients can be stratified into low-risk and high-risk groups. Those with low-risk disease have such a low risk of recurrence that the toxicity of adjuvant therapy is not warranted. Although patients with high-risk disease have a high enough of a risk of recurrence to justify consideration of adjuvant therapy, their ultimate prognosis may be determined more by an accurate determination of the stage of disease rather than by currently available, marginally effective or ineffective therapy. Patients who are thought to have early stage disease on the basis of inadequate staging procedures either should undergo a restaging laparotomy or receive therapy for the possibility of occult advanced disease.