Prognostic significance of cathepsin-D in patients with breast cancer

The expression of the protease cathepsin-D has been evaluated using an immunohistochemical technique with a polyclonal antibody in paraffin-embedded tissue from 359 patients treated between the years 1975-1981 for Stage I and II breast cancer. One hundred and twenty seven patients (35%) have strongly positive, granular staining, 138 (38%) are intermediately stained in the cytoplasm, and in 94 (26%) no staining is observed. There is a strong positive association between expression of cathepsin-D and the presence of tumour in axillary lymph nodes (P < 0.006). Expression of the protease is associated with significantly poorer survival of patients in univariate analysis (P = 0.025); however, this is not independent of other tumour variables.     

ACAT inhibitors derived from hetero-Diels-Alder cycloadducts of thioaldehydes

Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) is the enzyme largely responsible for intracellular cholesterol esterification. A systemic inhibitor of ACAT is believed to be able to slow or even reverse the atherosclerotic process. Towards that goal, a series of cyclic sulfides, derived from the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of thioaldehydes with 1,3-dienes, and bearing carboxamide substituents, were prepared and evaluated for in vitro (in several tissues and species) and ex vivo ACAT inhibition. Minor changes in subsequent structure were found to have a significant effect in optimization of the biological activity of this series of compounds.     

Imitation and pantomime in high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorders

A study was designed to test 2 alternative hypotheses--a symbolic hypothesis and an executive function hypotheses--for the imitation and pantomime deficits found in previous studies of autism. The subjects were 17 adolescent high-functioning subjects with autism spectrum disorders and 15 clinical comparison subjects who were matched on chronological age and verbal IQ. Meaning and sequence were manipulated in facial and manual imitation tasks. Sequence was manipulated in the pantomime and control tasks. Recognition memory and motor control tasks were matched to the experimental tasks. The results provided no support for the symbolic deficit hypothesis; meaning aided rather than hindered the performance of the group with autism. Partial support for the executive deficit hypothesis was found. There were no group differences on motor control tasks, and few on the memory control tasks, arguing against deficits in motor initiation, basic motor coordination, or visual recognition memory.     

Influence of lips on thin-walled sections

Turning the free edge of an unstiffened flange inwards or outwards to form a ‘lip’, can substantially improve the local buckling resistance of a member. The lip is the most common type of edge stiffener used in cold-rolled, thin-walled sections. In this paper the behaviour of plate elements of thin-walled sections stiffened by compound lips (i.e. lips which are folded twice to form ‘lips on the lips’) is examined both theoretically and experimentally. An outline of a series of tests on compound edge-stiffened thin-walled sections of various geometries is given and some load-end compression displacement paths are compared with the theoretical predictions. Reasonably good agreement is obtained between the experimental and theoretical results. Comparisons of the theoretical predictions with experimental results of other researchers are also presented in this paper.     

Arsenic intoxication presenting with macrocytosis and peripheral neuropathy, without anemia

A case of arsenic intoxication associated with macrocytosis and neuropathy, without anemia, is presented. Evaluation of a 68-year-old man with a long history of peripheral neuropathy and persistent macrocytosis revealed exposure to an insecticide. Analysis of urine and hair revealed elevated levels of arsenic. A short course of d-penicillamine failed to promote urinary excretion of arsenic. Removal of the insecticide resulted in resolution of macrocytosis and slight improvement of neuropathy. This case emphasizes that arsenic intoxication should be considered in patients with macrocytosis with peripheral neuropathy, even in the absence of anemia.     

HIV arthritis

Whether reexposure of varicella-immune persons to varicella-zoster virus would protect against or predispose to development of zoster was analyzed. The rate of zoster in 511 leukemic recipients of varicella vaccine who had 1 or > 1 dose of varicella vaccine and in those who did or did not have a household exposure to varicella was determined. A Kaplan-Meier life-table analysis revealed that the incidence of zoster was lower in those given > 1 dose of vaccine (P < .05). A Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that both household exposure to varicella and receipt of > 1 dose of vaccine were highly protective (P < .01) against zoster. Thus, the risk of zoster is decreased by reexposure to varicella-zoster virus, either by vaccination or by close exposure to varicella.     

Screen‐printed biosensor for allergens

Allergen levels in indoor environments, leading to many diseases, eg asthma, rhinitis and conjunctivitis, affect a large and increasing fraction of the population. A quite effective and inexpensive method of a rough but very rapid overall assessment of total allergen level in the environment has been developed. The method involved estimation of protein in allergen extracts by screen‐printed electrodes using two different techniques. The biosensor comprised a rhodinised carbon working electrode, a silver/silver chloride reference electrode and a carbon counter electrode. In the first method the enzyme protease reacted with allergen protein to release amino acid, which produced hydrogen peroxide in the presence of amino acid oxidase. This was detected amperometrically. The second method used potassium bromide as electrolyte and the electrode was subjected to dual potential. Bromine, released due to electrolysis at higher potential, was consumed by the allergen protein at lower potential. In the first method, a unique technique was used to microencapsulate the enzyme protease and immobilise it on the surface of the electrode by in‐situ polymerisation to avoid contact with the amino acid oxidase. A total of seven allergens were tested and the results gave a good correlation with the standard protein measurement method. Environmental specimens from indoors, schools and workplaces can be evaluated for the aeroallergens produced by dust mites, animal hairs, cockroach debris, pollens, etc as a means of determining the exposure risk. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry