The CEA test and other immunological tests as disease course controls in gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma

161 patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract were studied to determine the value of the CEA test and a battery of non-specific immunological tests during the course of the disease. The ability of these tests to detect a tumor recurrence in radically operated patients was evaluated. A false negative preoperative CEA value was found in 40% of the patients with gastric carcinoma and 32% with colorectal carcinoma. Patients with a negative preoperative CEA value, and those with only slightly elevated values, had a distinctly better prognosis regarding initial operability and tendency to postoperative recurrence than patients with primarily markedly elevated values. With few exceptions, the development of distant metastases was detected earlier and more easily with the CEA test than by the usual routine follow-up methods. However, in the event of isolated local recurrence the CEA test was positive in only 1 of 5 patients. This reflects the direct correlation between tumor size and CEA elevation. The CEA test is a valuable supplement in the follow-up of patients with gastrointestinal carcinoma.     

Strain hardening of latent slip systems in zinc crystals

Zinc crystals were deformed in simple shear and it was found that anisotropic strain hardening occurred in which the inactive slip systems were hardened more than the active system. The formation of dislocation barriers by dislocation interaction was discussed as a possible explanation of the hardening of the latent systems.     

Adenoacanthoma of the endometrium: a separate entity or a histological curiosity?

In a series of 42 patients with endometrial adenoacanthoma and of 53 with adenocarcinoma, age at the time of diagnosis, age at the onset of the menopause, gravidity, pathological staging, and survival were compared to see if there was any significant difference, apart from morphology, between the two tumours. No significant differences could be established, and it was concluded that adenoacanthoma should be regarded as a histological variant of adenocarcinoma and not as a separate entity.     

The Effects of Discounting Profits in the Presence of Learning in the Optimization of Production Rates

When production involves learning, so that the rate of cash flow depends on cumulative production as well as on the rate of production, then the maximization of total program profit can be a Calculus of Variations problem. This paper explores some characteristics of optimal production schedules in such circumstances, and presents an application to a problem in aircraft production.     

Effects of environment on growth, efficiency of feed utilization, carcass fatness, and their association

The effects of environmental factors (house type, temperature, and type of watering system) on gain (G), feed consumption (FC), feed conversion (FCR), accumulation of abdominal fat (AF), and the association between FCR and AF of broilers were studied in a series of seven experiments. In addition, the adjustment of broilers to new housing environments and the factors affecting this adjustment were evaluated. The 4- to 7-wk G and FC were greater in groups raised at 21.1 C than 26.7 C. There were no consistent effects of environmental temperature on FCR (significantly reduced in 21.1 C groups compared with the 26.7 C groups in two of four trials) or in AF (significantly greater in 21.1 C groups than in 26.7 C groups in one of four trials). Environmental temperatures had no consistent effect on the relationship between FCR and AF. Both waterer types and environmental temperature affected the adjustment of broilers to placement in individual cages. Adjustment was better (less mortality and shorter periods of reduced FC) in the 21.1 C environment and when cup instead of trough waterers were provided. The 4- to 6-wk G and FC were reduced in the caged birds compared with the floor pen birds, but the FCR and AF were not consistently different. The initial (4-wk) BW significantly affected the 6-wk BW, G, FC, and FCR, but was not correlated with AF.     

Eye movement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a longitudinal study

Conservative therapy in cases of severe dysthyroid ophthalmopathy (DO) has not given satisfactory results. Since 1986, 51 patients (99 orbits) with marked DO have been treated by surgical decompression of the orbits. The procedure begins within the upper eyelid. The excision of the excessive skin and subcutaneous tissue is performed and eyelid fat is removed. In order to obtain the correction of the upper eyelid retraction, the levator aponeurosis is divided by 2-3 transverse incisions in its central part and Muller's muscle is sectioned at the level of its tarsal insertion. Through an incision in the lower eyelid, the posterior part of the orbital floor, the lateral orbit wall, as well as the periorbital and intraorbital fat are removed. Through an incision made over the medial margin of the orbit, the ethmoidal part of the medial orbital wall and the retrobulbar fat are removed. The periorbital periosteum should be incised at several sites. After operation all patients showed a significant reduction of exophthalmos (5-11 mm, 7.16 mm on average), significant reduction of intraocular pressure, marked improvement in ocular muscle function, as well as considerable reduction or disappearance of subjective symptoms. There was an improvement in vision in 68% patients who had impaired vision before the operation. There were no cases of subsequent impairment of vision or ocular motility. Mild relapse was recorded in three cases only and only one patient required unilateral reoperation. Strabismus surgery had to be performed in five patients due to unsatisfactory correction of double vision. It can be concluded that this method of orbital decompression gives very good functional and aesthetical long-term results.     

Compositional nonuniformities and strain relaxation at misoriented InxGa(1−x)As/GaAs interfaces

Compositional nonuniforimities and misfit dislocations are observed near misoriented In_0.2Ga_0.8As/GaAs interfaces. The compositional nonuniformities results from In interdiffusion at the interface over a distance of 3 nm and formation of InAs platelet precipitates. The misfit dislocations are of pure edge and 60° types. The core of pure edge misfit dislocations generally consists of two 60° dislocations separated by approximately 2.5 nm. One of these 60° dislocations is usually split into partials and decorated by platelets of InAs. The interface and surface morphologies are strongly influenced by the substrate tilt away from exact [001] crystallographic orientation.