PurposeTo investigate the effects of laser photocoagulation (LP)-induced ocular hypertension (OHT) on the survival and retrograde axonal transport of retinal ganglioncells (RGC),...Full Text Available
Purpose.There is a paucity of neuron replacement studies for retinal ganglioncells. Given the complex phenotype of these neurons, replacement of ganglioncells may be impossible....Full Text Available
Using the photopigment melanopsin, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglioncells (ipRGCs) respond directly to light to drive circadian clock resetting and pupillary constriction. We now...Full Text Available
Fish retinal ganglioncells (RGCs) can survive and regrow their axons after optic nerve injury. Injured RGCs express anti-apoptotic proteins, such as Bcl-2, after nerve injury; however, upstream effectors of this anti-apoptotic protein are not yet fully understood. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) play a crucial role in cellsurvival against various stress conditions. In this study, we focused on HSP70 expression in the zebrafish retina after optic nerve injury. HSP70 mRNA and protein levels increased rapidly 2.3-fold in RGCs by 1-6 h after injury and returned to control levels by 1-3 days. HSP70 transcription is regulated by heat shock factor 1 (HSF1). HSF1 mRNA and phosphorylated-HSF1 protein rapidly increased by 2.2-fold in RGCs 0.5-6 h after injury. Intraocular injection of HSP inhibitor I s...
Aims: This study sought to elucidate the effects of timolol and dorzolamide on intraocular pressure (IOP) and retinal ganglioncell (RGC) death in an experimental...Full Text Available
In superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons calcium-induced calcium release (CICR), mediated by ryanodine receptors (RyRs), contributes to stimulation-evoked intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i)...Full Text Available
BackgroundMost retinal ganglioncells (RGCs) convey contrast and motion information to visual brain centers. Approximately 2% of RGCs are intrinsically photosensitive (ipRGCs), express...Full Text Available
To test the hypothesis that transduction of the channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) gene, a microbial-type rhodopsin gene, into retinal ganglioncells of genetically blind rats will restore functional vision, we recorded visually evoked potentials and tested the experimental rats for the presence of optomotor responses. The N-terminal fragment of the ChR2 gene was fused to the fluorescent protein Venus and inserted into an adeno-associated virus to make AAV2-ChR2V. AAV2-ChR2V was injected intravitreally into the eyes of 6-month-old dystrophic RCS (rdy/rdy) rats. Visual function was evaluated six weeks after the injection by recording visually evoked potentials (VEPs) and testing optomotor responses. The expression of ChR2V in the retina was investigated histologically. We found that VEPs could not b...
PurposeTo characterize differences in retinal ganglioncell (RGC) function in mouse strains relevant to disease models. C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) are the two most common mouse...Full Text Available
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinases (MAPKs) are a class of serine/threonine kinases that regulate a number of different cellular activities including cell proliferation, differentiation, survival and...Full Text Available
Recently, we cloned purpurin cDNA as an upregulated gene in the axotomized fish retina. The retina-specific protein was secreted from photoreceptors to ganglioncell layer during an early stage of optic nerve regeneration in zebrafish retina. The purpurin worked as a trigger molecule for axonal regrowth in adult injured fish retina. During zebrafish development, purpurin mRNA first appeared in ventral retina at 2 days post-fertilization (dpf) and spread out to the outer nuclear layer at 3 dpf. Here, we investigated the role of purpurin for zebrafish retinal development using morpholino gene knockdown technique. Injection of purpurin morpholino into the 1-2 cell stage of embryos significantly inhibited the transcriptional and translational expression of purpurin at 3 dpf. In the purpurin mo...
Effects of cell concentrations on the survival and repopulation of haemopoietic stem cells after irradiation were studied in the long-term culture of mouse bone marrow cells in vitro. No difference was observed in the survival of the stem cells among cultures in which 0 - 10/sup 7/ cells were re-inoculated on the adherent cell colonies in the culture flask. Stem cells showed a significant proliferation within 1 week and the number of the stem cells exceeded the control in 3 weeks after irradiation in the cultures with less than 10/sup 6/ re-inoculated cells per flask. In contrast, there was a considerable delay in the onset of stem cell proliferation after irradiation in the culture with 10/sup 7/ cells per flask. ...
The long-term survival of serologically incompatible red cell units was measured in five patients with antibodies to high-frequency antigens. Initially, the survival of 1 ml of "5"1Cr-labeled incompatible red cells was measured over 1 hour. After demonstrating that the 1-hour survival times were successful (greater than 70%), each patient then received 5 ml of the same "5"1Cr-labeled red cells followed by the transfusion of the remainder of the red cell unit. The long-term T 1/2Cr survival for each case was patient 1 (anti-McCa), 15 days; patient 2 (anti-JMH), 12 days; patient 3 (anti-Kna), 31 days; patient 4 (anti-McCa), 12 days; and patient 5 (anti-Hya), 14 days. Each antibody tested in an in vitro homologous macrophage assay showed less than 5 percent phagocytosis. Anti-JMH was the only antibody to react with IgG ...
Species differences in lifespan have been attributed to cellular survival during various stressors, designated here as ‘cell resilience’. In primary fibroblast cultures, cell...Full Text Available
High-risk neuroblastoma is a childhood malignancy with a poor prognosis. Gradual improvements in survival have correlated with therapeutic intensity, and the ability to harvest, process and...Full Text Available
Chaperones (stress proteins) are essential proteins to help the formation and maintenance of the proper conformation of other proteins and to promote cellsurvival after a large variety of environmental...Full Text Available
Gonadal hormones modulate neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus differentially in male and female adult rodents. Neurogenesis is comprised of at least two components: cell proliferation (the production of new cells) and cellsurvival (the number of new neurons that survive to maturity). Previous studies have found sex differences in the level of cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus only when comparing females in a high estrogen state to males. This review focuses on the effects of acute and chronic levels of estrogens or androgens on hippocampal neurogenesis in the adult male and female rodent. Evidence is also reviewed for the co-localization of androgen receptors and estrogen receptors (ER) with markers for cell proliferation or immature new cellsurvival. Briefly, evidence suggests that ...
To test the effect of humidity on the radiation resistance of Deinococcus radiodurans, air-dried cells were irradiated with germicidal 254?nm UV, and simulated environmental UV or ?-radiation and survival was compared to cells in suspension. It was observed that desiccated cells exhibited higher levels of resistance than cells in suspension toward UV or ?-radiation as well as after 85?C heat shock. It was also shown that low relative humidity improves survival during long-term storage of desiccated D. radiodurans cells. It can be concluded that periods or environments in which cells exist in a dehydrated state are beneficial for D. radiodurans? survival exposed to various other stresses.
Purpose: The DBA/2J mice have been used as an animal model for human pigmentary glaucoma. However, these mice develop various degrees of disease symptoms at different ages, making it difficult to detect pathological changes of retinal degeneration at glaucoma onset. The purpose of this study is to develop a non-invasive assay to identify individual mice that develop visual deficits. Materials and Methods: We apply two behavioral tests, a swimming test of visual discrimination and a test of optomotor response, to identify glaucomatous DBA/2J mice. We then examine whether the elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP), the common risk factor for glaucoma, affects visual performances of the DBA/2J mice. We further compare the retinal ganglioncell death, one of the signature glaucoma symptoms, i...
The obtained results in presently study demonstrate that the feasibility of the detection of the sentry ganglion in cervix uterine cancer using a boarding by laparoscopic via, being necessary the use of twice labelled as much with patent blue and radioisotope (colloid of labelled rhenium with "9"9"mTc, total dose of 3 MCi) to achieve the identification of the ganglion. (Author)
Stress strongly inhibits proliferation of granule cell precursors in the dentate gyrus, while voluntary running has the opposite effect. Few studies, however, have examined the possible effects...Full Text Available
BackgroundGlycochenodeoxycholate (GCDA) is one of the major human bile salts. Bile salts stimulate cellsurvival and proliferation through the mitogen-activated protein kinase, but...Full Text Available
PurposeThe size of neuronal populations is modulated by gene variants that influence cell production and survival, in turn influencing neuronal connectivity, function,...Full Text Available
NSCLC (non-small cell lung cancer) comprises about 80% of all lung cancer cases worldwide. Surgery is most effective treatment for patients with early-stage disease. However, 30%–55% of these...Full Text Available
NG2 chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan is a surface marker of oligodendroglial progenitor cells (OPCs) in various species. In contrast to well-studied rat OPCs, however, we found that purified...Full Text Available
BackgroundCancer stem cells (CSCs) have increased resistance to cancer chemotherapy. They can be enriched as drug-surviving CSCs (D-CSCs) by growth with chemotherapeutic drugs, and/or...Full Text Available
Macrophages are cells of the immune system that protect organisms against invading pathogens by fulfilling critical roles in innate and adaptive immunity and inflammation. They originate from circulating...Full Text Available
The purpose of this review is to consider the hypothesis that cancer frequently originates from stem cells. Using the spleen transplantation assay where stem cells were transplanted in the spleen of mice lethally irradiated by ionizing radiation, the author undertook a study aimed at defining the risk of radiogenic cancer per susceptible cells with use of rat radiogenic mammary and thyroid cancers because of the high incidences of these cancers in a-bomb survivors. Measured were the number of cancer-susceptible cells initially present in the tissue, the number of such cells that survived at a given dose and the number of cancers that developed per survivingcell. Thyroid cell differentiation and proliferation in rats transplanted with thyroid cells were enhanced by thyroidectomy ...
The role of the HCR system in the repair of prelethal lesions induced by UV light, #gamma# radiation and alkylating agents was studied in the Bacillus subtilis SPP1 phage, its heat sensitive mutants (N3, N73 nad ts_1) and corresponding infectious DNA. The survival of phages and their transfecting DNA after treatment with UV light is substantially higher in hcr"+ cells than in hcr cells, the differences being more striking in intact phages than in their transfecting DNA's. Repair inhibitors reduce survival in hcr"+ cells: caffeine lowers the survival of UV-irradiated phage SPP1 in exponentially growing hcr"+ cells but has no effect on its survival in competent hcr"+ cells; acriflavin and ethidium bromide decrease the survival of the UV-irradiated SPP1 phage in both exponentially ...
Aim To better define the indications for adrenalectomy for adrenal metastasis we have analysed factors predicting survival in our institutional series. Methods A consecutive series of 30 patients undergoing adrenalectomy for metastasis (1996-2007), excluding patients with simultaneous ipsilateral renal cell carcinoma (RCC), was studied. Metastases were regarded as synchronous (6 mo), depending on the interval after primary surgery. Survival was calculated from time of adrenalectomy and factors influencing survival were identified. Results The tumour diagnoses were RCC n = 9, malignant melanoma n = 5, non-small-cell lung cancer n = 5, colorectal carcinoma n = 4, foregut carcinoid n = 2, adrenocortical carcinoma, breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, urothelial c...
Since microwaves are used in human cancer therapy, information on specific biological effects of microwaves at elevated temperatures is important. To help supply this information, we exposed mammalian cells (CHO) and bacteria (Serratia marcescens) to hyperthermal temperatures (43, 44, and 45/sup o/C for CHO and 48, 49, and 50/sup o/C for the bacteria) with and without microwave irradiation. Temperature control was maintained by a refrigeration-reheat system and high-velocity water recirculation. The 2450-MHz microwave source was operated in a pulsed mode with power density up to 500 mW/cm/sup 2/. As expected, the survival curve slopes for both cell types increased rapidly with temperature, doubling for each degree Celsius. Microwave irradiation produced no significant change in extrapolation number for either cell type. However, survival curves of CHO cells ...
Over a 5-year period (1976-1980) 499 patients with non-seminomatous testicular germ cell tumours were included in the Danish Testicular Carcinoma Study (DATECA). The 3-year crude survival for patients in clinical stages I, II and III was 91, 77 and 45 per cent, respectively. In stage I the relapse-free survival for patients given radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine was significantly higher than that for patients given radiation alone. No difference in the crude survival for patients given radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine was significantly higher than that for patients given radiation alone. No difference in the crude survival was observed. For stage II patients maintenance chemotherapy following radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine did not improve relapse-free or crude survival. The survival of ...
Over a 5-year period (1976-1980) 499 patients with non-seminomatous testicular germ cell tumours were included in the Danish Testicular Carcinoma Study (DATECA). The 3-year crude survival for patients in clinical stages I, II and III was 91, 77 and 45 per cent, respectively. In stage I the relapse-free survival for patients given radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine was significantly higher than that for patients given radiation alone. No difference in the crude survival for patients given radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine was significantly higher than that for patients given radiation alone. No difference in the crude survival was observed. For stage II patients maintenance chemotherapy following radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine did not improve relapse-free or crude survival. The survival of ...
IntroductionThe phenotypic and functional differences between cells that initiate human breast tumors (cancer stem cells) and those that comprise the tumor bulk are difficult to...Full Text Available
In this review, we demonstrate the developmental appearance, structural features, and reorganization of transient cerebral zones and structures in the human fetal brain using a correlative histological and MRI analysis. The analysis of postmortem aldehyde-fixed specimens (age range: 10 postovulatory weeks to term) revealed that, at 10 postovulatory weeks, the cerebral wall already has a trilaminar appearance and consists of: (1) a ventricular zone of high cell-packing density; (2) an intermediate zone; (3) the cortical plate (in a stage of primary consolidation) with high MRI signal intensity. The anlage of the hippocampus is present as a prominent bulging in the thin limbic telencephalon. The early fetal telencephalon impar also contains the first commissural fibers and fornix bundles in the septal area. The ganglionic eminence is clearly visible as an expanded continuation of the proliferative ventricular zone. The basal ganglia showed an ...
To evaluate the predictive factors for treatment response and prognostic factors affecting survival outcomes after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma. Medical records of forty two patients with histologically confirmed analsquamous cell carcinoma, who had complete CCRT between 1993 and 2008, were reviewed retrospectively. Median age was 61.5 years (39-89 years), and median radiotherapy (RT) dose was 50.4 Gy (30.0-64.0 Gy). A total of 36 patients had equal to or less than T2 stage (85.7%). Fourteen patients (33.3%) showed regional nodal metastasis, 36 patients (85.7%) were treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) plus mitomycin, and the remaining patients were treated by 5-FU plus cisplatinum. The median follow--up time was 62 months (2-202 months).The 5-year overall survival, locoregional relapse-free survival, disease-free ...
ObjectiveTo evaluate the prognostic significance of adjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy-induced neutropenia with survival in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine...Full Text Available
Mycolic acids are key cell wall components for the survival, pathogenicity, and antibiotic resistance of the human tubercle bacillus. Although it was thought that Mycobacterium tuberculosis...Full Text Available
During the past decade elevated phospholipase D (PLD) activity has been reported in virtually all cancers where it has been examined. PLD catalyzes the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine to generate...Full Text Available
BackgroundWe have previously reported that low concentrations of cigarette smoke extract induce DNA damage without leading to apoptosis or necrosis in human bronchial epithelial...Full Text Available
BackgroundCalcium signaling plays an important role in B lymphocyte survival and activation, and is critically dependent on the inositol-1,4,5-tris-phosphate-induced...Full Text Available
Bacteria have the ability to adapt to different growth conditions and to survive in various environments. They have also the capacity to enter into dormant states and some bacteria form spores when...Full Text Available
BackgroundSevere sepsis and septic shock are major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In experimental sepsis there is prominent apoptosis of various cell types, and genetic...Full Text Available
BackgroundNF-κB is a survival signaling transcription factor complex involved in the malignant phenotype of many cancers, including squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). The citrus...Full Text Available
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Standard chemotherapy has been shown to improve quality of life and has a modest influence on overall survival. This modest improvement in...Full Text Available
BackgroundGATA-2 is a transcription factor required for hematopoietic stem cellsurvival as well as for neuronal development in vertebrates. It has been shown that specific expression...Full Text Available
BackgroundStorage of RBCs is necessary for an adequate blood supply. However, reports have identified potential negative sequelae of transfusing stored RBCs. An animal...Full Text Available
The long-term survival of certain patients after treatment with radiation or chemotherapeutic agents has allowed the realization that agents that effectively control cancer in the human subject may also possess an oncogenic potential, resulting in secondary malignancies in a significant proportion of surviving patients. A quantitative assessment of the oncogenic effects of these agents at a cellular level is important, as is information on conditions and agents that may effectively alter the development of the neoplastic state. Cell culture systems where the neoplastic transformation of cells can be scored after exposure to carcinogens offer powerful tools for evaluating the oncogenic potential of radiation and chemotherapeutic agents.
We hypothesize that the mushroom-derived active compound may be a potential strategy for increasing survival in response to influenza virus (H1N1) infection through the stimulation of host innate immune response. The validity of the hypothesis can be tested by immune response to influenza infection as seen through survival percentage, virus clearance, weight loss, natural killer cell cytotoxicity, Tumor Necrosis Factor-? (TNF-?) and Interferon-gamma (IFN-?) levels, lytic efficiency in the spleens of mice and inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA expressions in RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. The hypothesis may improve people's quality of life, reduce the medical cost of our healthcare system and eliminate people's fears of influenza outbreak. PMID:21660092
Hematological deficiencies increase with aging leading to anemias, reduced hematopoietic stress responses and myelodysplasias. This study tested the hypothesis that side population hematopoietic...Full Text Available
An attempt is made to induce in mud crab (Scylla serrata) epileptiform activities that resemble the generalized epileptic seizures. Cerebral ganglion of crab was exposed in situ, to a convulsant drug pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) 100?mM, for induction of seizures. Also, crabs were pretreated with antiepileptic drug viz sodium valproate (120??mol/l) to inhibit epileptiform activities. The surface electrical discharges of cerebral ganglion were recorded using Unkelscope (MIT, USA) in control as well as experimental animals. The cerebral ganglion of crab showed a pattern of high cerebral electrical discharges after PTZ treatment compared to control. The sodium valproate promoted sedative action in control and prevented PTZ-mediated epileptiform discharges. Glutamate and GABA contents in cerebral g...
Aim: To evaluate the role of computed tomography (CT) in needle placement for ganglion impar blocks, and to determine the efficacy of CT-guided ganglion impar blocks in the management of coccydynia. Materials and methods: The results of ganglion impar blockade in eight patients with coccydynia secondary to trauma or unknown cause were reviewed. The diagnosis of coccydynia was based on clinical history, location of pain, and response to previous diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The eight patients were treated with CT-guided ganglion impar blocks to manage their coccyx pain after conservative procedures, including oral medication and cushions, failed to provide relief. All patients were subjected to ganglion impar blocks under a thin-section CT-guided technique for needle placement, using a mixture of bupivacaine and triamcinolone. The patients were followed-up for a period of ...
Reproductive status influences cell proliferation and the survival of new cells in the dentate gyrus of adult laboratory-reared and wild female meadow voles; reproductively inactive (RI) females have more proliferating cells and more labeled cells that survive 5 weeks vs. 2 h than reproductively active (RA) females. However, the effect of season has only been studied in a wild sample of male meadow voles and factors such as age and experience that have been shown to influence neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of adult mammals cannot be controlled in a wild sample. Therefore, we investigated whether reproductive status regulates neurogenesis (cell proliferation and/or the survival of new cells) in the dentate gyrus of laboratory-reared adult male meadow voles so that confounding variables could be ...
Abstract: In many biological processes heterogeneity within clonal cell populations is an important issue. One of the most striking examples is a population of cancer cells in which after a common, identical death signal some cells die whereas others survive. The reason for this heterogeneity is intrinsic and extrinsic noise. In this paper we present a mechanistic multi-scale modeling framework for cell populations, in which the dynamics of every individual cell is captured by a parameter dependent stochastic differential equation (SDE). Heterogeneity among individual cells is accounted for by differences in parameter values, modeling extrinsic influences. Based on the statistical properties of the extrinsic noise and the SDE model for the individual cell, a partial differential equation (...
PACAP (pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide) is widely distributed neuropeptide acting via three subtypes of receptors, PAC(1), VPAC(1) and VPAC(2). Here we examined the localisation and nature of PACAP-immunoreactive nerves in the rat thyroid and parathyroid glands and defined the distribution of PAC(1), VPAC(1) and VPAC(2) receptor mRNA's. In the parathyroid gland a large number of nerve fibres displaying PACAP-immunoreactivity were distributed beneath the capsule, around blood vessels and close to glandular cells. Most of the PACAP-nerves were sensory, since they co-stored CGRP (calcitonin-gene-related peptide) and were sensitive to capsaicin-treatment. mRNA's for PAC(1) and VPAC(2) receptors occurred in the parathyroid gland, mainly located in the glandular cells. In the thyroid gland PACAP-immunoreactive nerve fibres were associated with blood vessels, thyroid follicles and parafollicular C-cells. A high ...
Intracellular recordings were made from 1022 somatic lumbar dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurones in anaesthetized adult rats, classified from dorsal root conduction velocities (CVs) as C, Aδ...Full Text Available
The purpose was to identify human in vitro cell lines with a high relative cellular sensitivity to fast neutrons as compared to photons and to examine their relationship to intrinsic photon radiosensitivity and cellular proliferation kinetics. The clonogenic cellsurvival following exposure to low LET, 4 MeV photons or, high LET, 62.5 MeV (p #-># Be"+) fast neutrons and the cellsurvival following exposure to low LET, 4 MeV photons or, high LET, 62.5 MeV (p #-># Be"+) fast neutrons and the cell kinetic parameters of 30 human in vitro cell lines, covering a wide range of histologies, were analyzed alone and with previously published data of Fertil and Malaise. The relative survival at 1.6 Gy of neutrons (SF_1_._6) compared to 2 Gy of photons (SF_2) and the cell kinetic parameters of the 30 ...
Methods: Systemic irradiation of neuroaxis is an essential part in the management of medulloblastoma, stPNET and intracranial germ cell tumors. The introduction of quality assurance programs in radiooncology assures a precise radiotherapy of target volumes and is a prerequisite to improve survival. Results: Hyperfractionated radiotherapy has the potential of increasing dose to tumor more safely without increasing the risk for late adverse effects. Pilot studies revealed excellent tumor control in medulloblastoma with acceptable acute toxicity and a long-term survival of up to 96%. In medulloblastoma stereotactic radiation techniques reveal an acceptable toxicity and promising results in tumor control in recurrent disease or as primary treatment. They are now part of future treatment protocols in case of persisting residual tumor. Radiotherapy alone in pure germinoma is continuously yielding high cure rates. In secreting ...
The initiation and progression of several forms of retinal degenerations involve excessive, repetitive, and/or sustained oxidative stress that, in turn, mediate photoreceptor cell damage and...Full Text Available
WR-2721 (S-2-(3-aminopropylamino)ethylphosphorothioic acid) has been demonstrated to be cytotoxic to stem spermatogonia in the mouse. Five and 10 injections of 300 mg/kg killed sufficient numbers of stem cells to reduce sperm production 56 days after treatment by 16 and 43%, respectively. Single injections of 300 or 400 mg/kg of WR-2721 given 15 min after irradiation produced negligible toxicity to stem cells as measured by counts of repopulated tubules; 600 mg/kg reduced stem cellsurvival by 47%. Four daily injections of 300 mg/kg given 4, 3, 2, and 1 days prior to irradiation reduced stem cellsurvival by about 60%. The cytotoxic effects of WR-2721 on testicular stem cells at least partially explains the reduced protection factors observed in the testis with low doses of radiation and during fractionated treatments involving multiple ...
We have studied the impact of overexpression of an intracellular signaling protein, integrin-linked kinase (ILK), on the survival and function of encapsulated islet tissue used for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. The dimensions of the encapsulated tissue can impact the stresses placed on the tissue and ILK overexpression shows the ability to extend function of dissociated cells as well as intact islets. These results suggest that lost cell-extracellular matrix interactions in cell encapsulation systems can lead to decreased insulin secretion and ILK signaling is a target to overcome this phenomenon. (communication)
Bone marrow is one of the most radiosensitive organs. Irradiation causes a marked decrease in the total number of hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow. The reticular meshwork structure of marrow stromal cells, however, is relatively resistant to irradiation. Unimpaired stromal cell structure has been thought to be a prerequisite for the repopulation of hematopoietic cells during recovery from the effects of irradiation. The reticular framework is maintained by cell adhesion apparatuses such as gap junctions. The in vitro radiobiologic survival values of a cloned stromal cell line, H-1/A, were studied (n = 1.8, D0 = 138 cGy). Radiation doses of up to 4000 cGy had no detectable effects on the production of colony-stimulating factor 1. H-1/A cells communicate with each other via gap junctions as determined by the ...
Bone marrow is one of the most radiosensitive organs. Irradiation causes a marked decrease in the total number of hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow. The reticular meshwork structure of marrow stromal cells, however, is relatively resistant to irradiation. Unimpaired stromal cell structure has been thought to be a prerequisite for the repopulation of hematopoietic cells during recovery from the effects of irradiation. The reticular framework is maintained by cell adhesion apparatuses such as gap junctions. The in vitro radiobiologic survival values of a cloned stromal cell line, H-1/A, were studied (n = 1.8, D0 = 138 cGy). Radiation doses of up to 4000 cGy had no detectable effects on the production of colony-stimulating factor 1. H-1/A cells communicate with each other via gap junctions as determined by the ...
An assay system for the stem cell that colonizes the thymus and differentiates into T cells was developed, and by using this assay system the existence of two subpopulations of stem cells for T cell lineage was clarified. Part-body-shielded and 900-R-irradiated C57BL/6 (H-2b, Thy-1.2) recipient mice, which do not require the transfer of pluripotent stem cells for their survival, were transferred with cells from B10 X Thy-1.1 (H-2b, Thy-1.1) donor mice. The reconstitution of the recipient's thymus lymphocytes was accomplished by stem cells in the donor cells and those spared in the shielded portion of the recipient that competitively colonize the thymus. Thus, the stem cell activity of donor cells can be evaluated by determining the proportion of ...
Understanding prostate stem cells may provide insight into the origin of prostate cancer. Primary cells have been cultured from human prostate tissue but they usually survive only 15-20 population doublings before undergoing senescence. We report here that RC-170N/h/clone 7 cells, a clonal cell line from hTERT-immortalized primary non-malignant tissue-derived human prostate epithelial cell line (RC170N/h), retain multipotent stem cell properties. The RC-170N/h/clone 7 cells expressed a human embryonic stem cell marker, Oct-4, and potential prostate epithelial stem cell markers, CD133, integrin #alpha#2#beta#1"h"i and CD44. The RC-170N/h/clone 7 cells proliferated in KGM and Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium with 10% fetal bovine serum and 5 #mu#g/ml insulin ...
Background and Purpose: Total-body irradiation (TBI) is an important part of the conditioning regimen for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in patients with hematologic malignancies. The results after treatment with various TBI regimes were compared, and dose-effect relationships for the endpoints relapse incidence, disease-free survival, treatment-related mortality, and overall survival were derived. The aim was to define requirements for an optimal treatment schedule with respect to leukemic cell kill and late normal-tissue morbidity. Material and Methods: A literature search was performed. Three randomized studies, four studies comparing results of two or three TBI regimens, and nine reports with results of one specific TBI regimen were identified. Biologically effective doses (BEDs) were calculated. The results of the randomized studies and the studies comparing results of two or three ...
Background and Purpose: Total-body irradiation (TBI) is an important part of the conditioning regimen for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in patients with hematologic malignancies. The results after treatment with various TBI regimes were compared, and dose-effect relationships for the endpoints relapse incidence, disease-free survival, treatment-related mortality, and overall survival were derived. The aim was to define requirements for an optimal treatment schedule with respect to leukemic cell kill and late normal-tissue morbidity. Material and Methods: A literature search was performed. Three randomized studies, four studies comparing results of two or three TBI regimens, and nine reports with results of one specific TBI regimen were identified. Biologically effective doses (BEDs) were calculated. The results of the randomized studies and the studies comparing results of two or three ...
Reference is made to Cheng and Leblond (Amer. J. Anat.; 141:537 (1974)) who used tritiated thymidine to kill cells synthesising DNA in the crypts of the small intestine. Amongst their findings was that very low doses caused measurable cell killing and that the killing was not random throughout the crypt but occurred selectively at the crypt base where stem cells are presumably located. It is here reported that the presence of hypersensitive cells at the base of the crypts can be demonstrated after whole-body X- or gamma-irradiation, and the time sequence for the production and loss of the killed cells is described together with their dose-response relationship. The studies were conducted on mice. The data were expressed as surviving rather than killed cells, and it was established that the crypt are amongst the most sensitive of mammalian ...
The effect of the heavy particle irradiation on cellsurvival is different from that of X-ray irradiation. In Japan, heavy particles will be applied to cancer patients in the near future. This study was performed to determine the effect that carbon particle irradiation exerts to human monolayer cells in vitro, in comparison with the effect of 200 kVp X-ray. Two human cell lines, HeLaS3 and RMUG, were used. The irradiation was carried out by the RIKEN ring cyclotron and 200 kVp X-ray. The experimental procedure is explained. Also split dose experiment was carried out by applying equally divided doses at intervals of 2 - 4 hours. The Bragg curve of 135 MeV/n carbon beam through the lucite plates with different thickness is given. Thus the different LETs were obtained. The survival curves for 200 kVp X-ray and the various LETs of carbon beam are shown. The curves became steeper, and Do ...
Abstract The treatment of advanced colorectal cancer with 5-fluorouracil has two major problems: development of tumor resistance and toxicity toward normal tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible advantages of combining 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with resveratrol (trans-3, 4prime, 5-trihydroxystilbene) for treating HT-29 and SW-620 colorectal carcinoma cell lines. Since combined treatment using 5-FU with resveratrol resulted in a significant decrease in long-term cellsurvival, we investigated the possible basis of this synergistic interaction at a molecular level, focusing on oxidative stress as a possible mediator of cell death. Resveratrol established interactions with the mitochondria of cancer cells and induced an imbalance in cellular antioxidant activities, leading...
We have developed a method for dissecting single neurons from the nematode Ascaris suum, in order to determine their peptide content by mass spectrometry (MS). In this paper,...Full Text Available
BackgroundLeukotrienes (LTs) belong to the large family of lipid mediators implicated in various inflammatory conditions such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Four distinct types...Full Text Available
Purpose Cisplatin plus gemcitabine is a standard regimen for first-line treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Phase II studies of pemetrexed plus platinum compounds have also shown activity in this setting. Patients and Methods This noninferiority, phase III, randomized study compared the overall survival between treatment arms using a fixed margin method (hazard ratio [HR] < 1.176) in 1,725 chemotherapy-naive patients with stage IIIB or IV NSCLC and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 1. Patients received cisplatin 75 mg/m(2) on day 1 and gemcitabine 1,250 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8 (n = 863) or cisplatin 75 mg/m(2) and pemetrexed 500 mg/m(2) on day 1 (n = 862) every 3 weeks for up to six cycles. Results Overall survival for cisplatin/pemetrexed was noninferior to cisplatin/ gemcitabine (median survival, 10.3 v 10.3 months, respectively; HR = 0.94; 95% ...
We investigated the in vitro phenotypic transformation of human embryo (HE) cells that were repeatedly irradiated (7.5 cGy once a week) throughout their life-span. Irradiation was repeated until the cells had accumulated 195 cGy (equivalent to the 26th passage). Samples of cells were assayed for survival by colony formation, as well as for mutation at the hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) locus and for transformation by focus formation. The life-span (mean number of population doublings) of multiply irradiated cells with a total dose of 97.5 cGy was slightly but significantly prolonged over that of controls. After HE cells had accumulated 195 cGy, the maximum number of divisions increased to 130-160% of the number in non-irradiated control cells. Transformed foci were not observed until cells had ...
Staphylococcus aureus survives inside eukaryotic cells. Our objective was to assess the activity of NZ2114, a novel peptidic antibiotic, against intracellular S. aureus in comparison with established antistaphylococcal agents acting on the bacterial envelope with a distinct mechanism.
Survival curves were constructed from dose-incidence curves for apoptosis in the crypts of mouse small intestine, using the number of apoptotic cells after high doses (N{sub M}) as maximum cell population size. The mean lethal doses (D{sub 0}) for the dose range 0-0.5 Gy were calculated for each time of day. A circadian rhythm in both D{sub 0} and N{sub M} values was detected, indicating that both the number and sensitivity of radiation-induced apoptosis were changing throughout the day. (author).
Erythroid differentiation regulator (Erdr1) was first discovered in mouse leukemia cell lines and functions as a stress-related survival factor. This study investigated whether Erdr1 regulates murine melanoma progression, as well as the mechanism involved in Erdr1-regulated metastasis. The expression of Erdr1 is negatively correlated with IL-18 expression, which has a pro-cancer effect in melanoma. To study the role of Erdr1 as an anti-cancer factor, cell migration, invasion, and proliferation were measured. Erdr1 overexpression markedly inhibited the level of cell migration, invasion, and proliferation in B16F10 cells in vitro. In addition, Erdr1 overexpression significantly suppressed melanoma lung colonization, metastasis, and tumor growth in vivo. To identify the factors involved in Er...
HT-29 human colon tumor cells growing as spheroids have been evaluated as a model system for measuring the response of human colon tumor cell to antineoplastic agents. HT-29 cells have been capacity to form spheroids up to 1 mm or more in diameter when grown in spinner culture. The multicellular HT-29 spheroids develop hypoxic centers reflecting the cellular conditions found in human cancer treatment, i.e., nutritionally deficient hypoxic cells that are felt to be a significant source of both radiation and chemotherapy clinical treatment failures. Spheroids of increasing size were radiated and then dispersed into single cells for colony survival assay. Compared with irradiated single cell suspensions, the spheroid cells demonstrated a significant increase in radioresistance. Growing spheroids developed a complex ...
The type III secretion system among Gram-negative bacteria is known to deliver effectors into host cell to interfere with host cellular processes. The type III secretion system in Yersina, Pseudomonas and Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli have been well documented to be involved in the bacterial pathogenicity. The existence of type III secretion system has been demonstrated in neuropathogenic E. coli K1 strains. Here, it is observed that the deletion mutant of type III secretion system in E. coli strain EC10 exhibited defects in the invasion and intracellular survival in Acanthamoeba castellanii (a keratitis isolate) compared to its parent strain. Next, it was determined whether type III secretion system plays a role in E. coli K1 survival inside Acanthamoeba during the encystment process...
Abstract:- Brine solution injection of beef contaminated with-Escherichia coli-O157:H7 on its surface may lead to internalization of pathogen cells and/or cross-contamination of the brine, which when recirculated, may serve as a source of new product contamination. This study evaluated survival of-E. coli-O157:H7 in brines formulated without or with antimicrobials. The brines were formulated in sterile distilled water (simulating the composition of freshly prepared brines) or in a nonsterile 3% meat homogenate (simulating the composition of recirculating brines) at concentrations used to moisture-enhance meat to 110% of initial weight, as follows: sodium chloride (NaCl, 5.5%) + sodium tripolyphosphate (STP, 2.75%), NaCl + sodium pyrophosphate (2.75%), or NaCl + STP combined with potassium ...
This study investigated whether estradiol influenced the survival of new granule neurons, independent of altering cell proliferation, in the adult rodent dentate gyrus and whether estradiol-induced changes in new neuron number relate to any observed changes in hippocampus-dependent behavior. To test whether estradiol specifically promotes the survival of new neurons we injected castrated adult male meadow voles with the cell synthesis marker bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU; 50 mg/kg) twice on day 0 and then injected either estradiol (10 microg) or vehicle for 5 consecutive days either over days 1-5, days 6-10 or days 11-15 and perfused them on day 16. Estradiol doubled the number of hippocampal BrdU-labeled neurons but only when administered during a discrete period (days 6-10; P< or =0.01) when most new neurons extend their axons [J Comp Neurol 413 (1999) 146]. To test whether the estradiol-induced increase ...
This study was a retrospective evaluation of the efficacy of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in patients with >4 metastases to the brain. Materials and Methods: Between January 2004 and December 2006, 68 patients with ?4 multiple brain metastases were included and reviewed retrospectively. Twenty-nine patients received SRS and 39 patients received whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT). Patients with small cell lung cancers and melanomas were excluded. The primary lesions were non-small cell lung cancer (69.0%) and breast cancer (13.8%) in the SRS group and non-small cell lung cancer (64.1%), breast cancer (15.4%), colorectal cancer (12.8%), esophageal cancer (5.1%) in the WBRT group. SRS involved gamma-knife radiosurgery and delivered 10?20 Gy (median, 16 Gy) in a single fraction with a 50% marginal dose. WBRT was delivered daily in 3 Gy fractions, for a total of 30 Gy. After completion of treatment, a follow-up brain MRI or a ...
Results reported are for single dose exposures and refer to "6"0Co-#gamma#-irradiation. The RBE determined by V79 cellsurvival and based on the Do ratio was found to be 1.70#+-#0.4 ranging from 1.5 to 1.8. In the case of the regeneration of mouse jejunal crypts the RBE was calculated at ten cell curvival and was found to be 1.68. The maximum acute mouse skin reaction at a skin score of 2.0 was found to be 2.1 while the average skin reaction was 1.7. Growth retardation of Vicia faba bean roots measured at the level of 50% indicated an average RBE of 3.0 and a range of 2.7 to 3.7. The OER obtained for V79 cellsurvival was found to be 1.7 to 1.8. Comparison is made with the RBE and OER measurements for the neutron facilities at Clatterbridge, Fermilab and Louvain-la-Neuve which produce neutrons by the same nuclear reaction and whose physical specifications closely resemeble those of ...
Prognosis of 95 consecutive patients with non-small cell lung cancer with brain metastases were evaluated. Three factors, therapy for brain metastases, general performance status (PS) and distant metastases to other organs had significant impact on survival. Among these 3 factors, PS was independent from the other 2 factors. Significant correlation was present, however, between therapy and other organ metastases, and few patients with brain and other distant metastases received aggressive treatment for brain metastases. Cranial irradiation had significant impact on survival even in those patients with brain and other distant metastases. Cranial irradiation also reduced death from brain metastases in responders. Our results indicate that there are several subgroups with different prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer with brain metastases, therefore the most beneficial treatment modality ...
We have observed significant differences in the response to ionizing radiation of two closely related human cell lines, and now compare the effects on these lines of both low and intermediate LET radiation. Compared to TK6, WTK1 has an enhanced X-ray survival, and is also more resistant to cell killing by {alpha}-particles. The hprt locus is more mutable in WTK1 than in TK6 by both X-rays and {alpha}-particles. WTK1 is also more mutable by {alpha}-particles than by X-rays at the hprt locus. X-ray-induced mutation at the heterozygous tk locus in WTK1 is about 25 fold higher than in TK6, while {alpha}-particle-induced mutation is nearly 50 fold higher at this locus. Also, the slowly growing tk- mutants, which comprise the majority of spontaneous and X-ray-induced tk- mutants of TK6, were not induced significantly by {alpha}-particles. Previously, we showed that TK6 has a reduced capacity for recombination compared with WTK1, ...
Exposures from most natural and artificial sources, with the exception of those from medical radiology, are received at average dose rates of only a few microsieverts a day. Such risks as may be caused by these exposures are most unlikely to be determined with precision directly by epidemiological studies of populations exposed at these low rates. They may, however, be reliably inferred from the observed risks of exposure to rather larger doses delivered at higher dose rates in the light of the increasing knowledge of the phenomena involved in the initial cellular damage, the extent to which such damage is incorrectly repaired, and the processes which intervene between the genetic or other harm to cells and the likelihood of its final expression in inherited abnormality, in cancer development, or in defective foetal or embryonic growth. Current studies are of great importance, therefore, in examining the circumstances in which coding sections of the chromosomal DNA ...
Radiation chimeras in the early phase after bone marrow transplantation are a good model to study the efficiency of the body's nonspecific defense system represented by macrophages (M phi), polymorphonuclear cells (PMN), and NK cells. These cell types are present in large numbers in spleen and liver at that time, whereas the specific immune system represented by T and B cells is functionally deficient. We previously reported enhanced activities in vitro of M phi (and PMN) from recipient animals in an early phase after allogeneic bone marrow transfer. We here demonstrate that these activities result in enhanced spontaneous resistance against Listeria monocytogenes in vivo: CFU of L. monocytogenes in spleen and liver 48 h after infection were about 1 or 2 to 4 log steps less than in untreated control mice of donor or host haplotype. This enhanced resistance decreased over the 4-mo period after marrow ...
Dose-response studies of the radiosensitivity of spermatogonial stem cells in various epithelial stages after irradiation with graded doses of fission neutrons of 1 MeV mean energy were carried out in the Cpb-N mouse. These studies on the stem cell population in stages IX-XI yielded simple exponential lines characterized by an average D0 value of 0.76 +/- 0.02 Gy. In the subsequent epithelial stages XII-III, a significantly lower D0 value of 0.55 +/- 0.02 Gy was found. In contrast to the curves obtained for stem cells in stages IX-III, the curves obtained in stages IV-VIII indicated the presence of a mixture of radioresistant and radiosensitive stem cells. In stage VII, almost no radioresistant stem cells appeared to be present and a D0 value for the radiosensitive stem cells of 0.22 +/- 0.01 Gy was derived. Previously, data were obtained on the size of colonies ...
Relative doses of 75 MeV/u "1"2C ion beam after passing through different thickness of degraders were measured with the double ionization chamber method. The degrader's thickness equalized to penetration depth of the beam in water and its Bragg curve were obtained. The measured Bragg curve is compared with that calculated based on a model set up by the authors. Meanwhile, the inactivation effect of the ion beam passing through different thickness of degraders on melanoma (B_1_6) cells was measured, and the corresponding survival fraction data for B_1_6 cells were acquired
The goal of this effort Composability, Provability, Reusability (CPR) for Survivability is to address the problem of composition of survivable systems. The particular objective of this project is to construct a formal specification of the Java Virtual Mac...
In searching modulators of immunity and hematopoiesis among natural products, being used as foods, six herbs exhibited lymphocyte proliferation in vitro, and six exhibited augmentation of hematopoietic cell growth. The combined treatments showed synergistic effects of lymphocyte proliferation and of hematopoietic cell growth. On the other hand, we found four effective oriental medicinal prescriptions, used as energy tonic or blood-building decoctions, for survival and regeneration of hematopoietic cells and for protection of stem cells of intestinal crypt in irradiated mice. On the basis of these results, extracts from combinations of herbs were made in expectation of higher effects in the three respects. In immuno modulation activity by the two combinations of herbs was confirmed in mice. In culture of bone narrow cells, growth improvement of non-adherent ...
The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75"N"T"R) is a death receptor which belongs to the tumor necrosis factor receptor super-family of membrane proteins. This study shows that p75"N"T"R retarded cell cycle progression by induced accumulation of cells in G0/G1 and a reduction in the S phase of the cell cycle. The rescue of tumor cells from cell cycle progression by a death domain deleted (#DELTA#DD) dominant-negative antagonist of p75"N"T"R showed that the death domain transduced anti-proliferative activity in a ligand-independent manner. Conversely, addition of NGF ligand rescued retardation of cell cycle progression with commensurate changes in components of the cyclin/cdk holoenzyme complex. In the absence of ligand, p75"N"T"R-dependent cell cycle arrest facilitated an increase in apoptotic nuclear fragmentation of the prostate cancer ...
Recent studies indicate that [Fe]-hydrogenases and H{sub 2} metabolism are widely distributed among green algae. The enzymes are simple structured and catalyze H{sub 2} evolution with similar rates than the more complex [Fe]-hydrogenases from bacteria. Different green algal species developed diverse strategies to survive under sulfur deprivation. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii evolves large quantities of hydrogen gas in the absence of sulfur. In a sealed culture of C. reinhardtii, the photosynthetic O{sub 2} evolution rate drops below the rate of respiratory O{sub 2} consumption due to a reversible inhibition of photosystem II, thus leading to an intracellular anaerobiosis. The algal cellssurvive under these anaerobic conditions by switching their metabolism to a kind of photo-fermentation. Although possessing a functional [Fe]-hydrogenase gene, the cells of Scenedesmus obliquus produce no significant ...
A nonlinear relationship between the time of accelerated aging of Lupine seeds and the indices of its survival as well as the single-strand DNA amount in cells from these seeds is established. The character of this relationship is essentially altered in chronically irradiated lupine seeds from the Chernobyl NPP exclusion zone and seems more complicated. The possible role of repair systems in these effects is discussed. The fact that chronic irradiation in low doses can modify the course of senescence in lupine seeds reflects its high biological efficiency comparing with acute irradiation.
HEMATOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES IN HUMANS TYPICALLY INVOLVE TWO TYPES OF GENETIC CHANGES: those that promote hematopoietic cell proliferation and survival (often the result of activation of tyrosine kinases) and those that impair hematopoietic cell differentiation (often the result of changes in transcription factors). The multi-stage erythroleukemia induced in mice by Friend spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) is an excellent animal model for studying the molecular basis for both of these changes. Significant progress has been made in understanding the molecular basis for the multi-stage erythroleukemia induced by Friend SFFV. In the first stage of leukemia, the envelope protein encoded by SFFV interacts with and activates the erythropoietin (Epo) receptor and the receptor tyrosine kinase sf-Stk in erythroid cells, causing their Epo-independent proliferation, differentiation and survival. ...
Nerve growth factor (NGF), a survival factor for neurons enforces pain by sensitizing nociceptors. Also in the pancreas, NGF was associated with pain and it can stimulate the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells. Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) respond to NGF with apoptosis. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-b, one of the strongest pro-fibrogenic activators of pancreatic stellate cells (PSC) induced NGF and its two receptors in an immortalized human cell line (ihPSC) and primary rat PSC (prPSC) as determined by RT-PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence. In contrast to HSC, PSC expressed both NGF receptors, although p75NTR expression was weak in prPSC. In contrast to ihPSC TGF-b activated both Smad signaling cascades in prPSC. NGF secretion was diminished by the activin-like kinase (ALK)...
To identify radio-protective agent candidate among medicinal plants and to elucidate the mechanism of action of the candidate material by using modern biochemical and molecular biological methods, we screened radio-protective activity among 48 medicinal plants. Seven samples showed above 20% protective activities against oxidative cell damage: Euryale ferox, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Eucomia ulmoides, Paeonia suffruticosa, Spirodela polyrrhiza, and Nelumbo nucifera. We also screened for oxidative stress sensitizing activity among other 51 medicinal plants. Among those samples, 11 samples showed good sensitizing effect; Melia azedarach, Agastache rugosa, Catalpa ovata, Prunus persica, Sinomenium acutum, Pulsatilla koreana, Oldenlandia diffusa, Anthriscus sylvestris, Schizandra chinensis, Gleditsia sinensis, and Cridium officinale. We also reported the radio-protective effect of DTT. The treatment of DTT increased cell ...
... Title : Effects of Pentobarbital Anesthesia on Survival, 'Escherichia coli' Clearance, Glucose and Leukocyte Concentration in Dogs Subjected to ...
Thirty-nine previously untreated patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue were treated by irradiation or a combination of irradiation and surgery, with or without chemotherapy, between January 1971 and December 1980. All of the patients had a follow-up period of at least nine years. Twenty-two patients were men and 17 were women. The average age was 50.1 years, with a range of 30 to 74 years. The absolute five-year survival rate was 82.1% and the cumulative ten-year survival rate 76.9% for these 39 patients. Cervical node metastases were clinically found on admission in 14 patients whose five-year survival rate was 64.3%, whereas it was 92.0% for 25 patients without metastasis. The absolute five-year survival rate decreased from 92.3% for patients with stage I lesions to 90.9%, 87.5% and 42.9% for those with stage II, stage III and stage IV lesions, respectively. Most of ...
Introduction The progressive growth of malignancies is accompanied by a decline in the immune response through mechanisms which are poorly understood. Apoptosis and induction of inflammation by tumor released cytokines as tumor escape mechanisms have been proposed to play an important role in colorectal carcinogenesis. Methods Expression of Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-?) was analyzed in colorectal cancer specimen and the cancer cell line HT-29 by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. TNF-? expression on protein and mRNA level were correlated with clinical characteristics and impact on survival. TNFR-1 was co-labelled with TNF-? and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells in immunofluorescence double staining experiments. Results: 94% (n?=?98/104) of the patients with CRC expressed TNF-?. High TNF-? express...
The objective of this research project is to investigate the biocompatibility of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) monomers and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) nanoparticles in vitro. PNIPAAm nanoparticles of different sizes were synthesized and characterized by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. Cytotoxicity studies using MTS assays were conducted on fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells. In addition, the concentration of NIPAAm monomers remaining on PNIPAAm nanoparticles was determined using bromination and spectrophotometry. The cytotoxicity results did not show a significant difference in cellsurvival when cells were exposed to different particle sizes (100, 300, and 500 nm). Dose studies showed that all three cell types exposed to 100 nm PNIPAAm nanoparticles at concentrations less than or equal to 5 mg/mL ...
Radiotherapy with high-energy carbon ion beams can be more advantageous compared to photons because of better physical dose distribution and higher biological efficiency in tumour cell sterilization. Despite enhanced normal tissue sparing, damage incurred by normal cells at the beam entrance is unavoidable and may affect the progeny of survivingcells in the form of inheritable cytogenetic alterations. Furthermore, the quality of the beam along the Bragg curve is modified by nuclear fragmentation of projectile and target nuclei in the body. We present an experimental approach based on the use of a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) phantom that allows the simultaneous exposure to a particle beam of several biological samples positioned at various depths along the beam path. The device was used to measure the biological effectiveness of a 60 MeV/amu carbon-ion beam at inducing chromosomal aberrations in G{sub ...
This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of neonatal asphyxia on brain development, with special reference to the kinetics of neuronal proliferation by using autoradiography. For 30 minutes, two-day-old suckling mice, Jcl:ICR strain, were put into a chamber which was constantly flushed with 100% CO_2 gas. After the exposure to asphyxia, 29% of the mice survived. Cell cycle studies were carried out at two days and at seven days on the external matrix cells, the precursor of the granule cells, at the external granular layer of the cerebellum from CO_2-exposed and control mice by "3H-thymidine autoradiography. At two days the generation time of the control mice was about 15 hours, whereas that of the asphyxiated mice was about 17 hours. The prolongation of the generation time in the asphyxiated mice was caused mainly by a delay in the G2 phase. This prolongation was apparent for about five days ...
We reported the radio-protective effect of DTT. The treatment of DTT increased cellsurvival after gamma-irradiation, decreased in the frequencies of micronucleus, and reduction in DNA fragmentation and apoptotic cells. Induction of apoptosis after UV-C irradiation was revealed by the changes in the relative cell death, increase in the relative amount of apoptotic cells, and the induction of DNA fragmentation. About 100 medicinal plants were purchased and methanol extract samples were prepared. Radio-protective and radio-sensitizing activities of these samples were screened. Seven samples showed above 20% radio-protective activities: Salvia miltiorrhiza, Areca catechu, Cornus officinalis, Alpiniae officinari rhizoma, Meliae fructus, Alpiniae katsumadaii semen, Betulae cortex. Acanthopanax sessiliflous showed the highest radio-sensitizing effect and 10 other samples revealed moderate ...
SUMMARYWe recorded Ca2+ current and intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in isolated adult rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons at 20 and...Full Text Available
1. Using a grease-gap recording technique we have investigated the effects of some antagonists of P2-purinoceptors on the depolarization of the rat isolated superior cervical ganglion evoked by 100...Full Text Available
In mice, coat pigmentation requires a stem cell (SC) system in which the survival, proliferation, and differentiation of melanocytes (MCs) are regulated by microenvironments in hair follicles (HFs). In vitro systems are required to analyze the behavior of single melanocyte stem cells (MCSCs) and their potential to form SC systems in vivo. We describe here an experimental system for the isolation, self-renewal, and differentiation of MCSCs, as well as an in vivo reconstitution assay for assessing their potential. Using Dct(tm1(Cre)Bee)/CAG-CAT-GFP mice, we show that, in the presence of stem cell factor and basic fibroblast growth factor and the XB2 feeder cell line, purified MCSCs can undergo clonogenic proliferation, resulting in c-Kit(low) side scatter(low) cells. In culture, these cells maintain their capacity to differentiate and ...
A semiquantitative assay was developed and used to measure the effects of immune responses against 16 independent non-H-2 antigenic loci on erythropoietic stem cells. The assay compares repopulation in genetically anemic WBB6F1-W/Wv recipients that have normal immune responses, and in lethally irradiated WBB6F1 +/+ mice whose immune responses are suppressed by the irradiation. The differences in repopulating ability between these two types of recipients measure how immune responses affect erythropoietic stem cells. Stem cell repopulating abilities for the cells with antigens specified by the Thy-1, H-1, H-24, Ly-1, H-37, and H-17 loci were affected slightly, if at all. Repopulating abilities were moderately reduced by responses against antigens specified by H-15, 16, Ea-2, and Ly-2, 3 loci, and against the differences between the B6 and B10 genotypes, although marrow of these types cured W/Wv ...
Patients with Ewing's sarcoma who present with a central axis or proximal extremity primary and/or with metastatic disease have a poor prognosis despite aggressive combination chemotherapy and local irradiation. In this high risk group of patients, total body irradiation (TBI) has been proposed as a systemic adjuvant. To aid in the design of a clinical TBI protocol, the authors have studied in the in vitro radiation response of two established cell lines of Ewing's sarcoma and human bone marrow CFUc. The Ewing's lines showed a larger D_0 and anti-n compared to the bone marrow CFU. No repair of potentially lethal radiation damage (PLDR) was found after 4.5 Gy in plateau phase Ewing's sarcoma cells. A theoretical split dose survival curve for both the Ewing's sarcoma lines and human bone marrow CFUc using this TBI schedule shows a significantly lower surviving fraction (10"-"4-10"-"5) for the bone marrow ...
Objective: To compare the therapeutic effect of unilateral biliary duct drainage with bilateral biliary duct drainage in the treatment of Bismuth-Corlette II-IV type hilar cholangiocarcinoma in order to provide rational and proper clinical options. Methods: Biliary duct drainage was performed in 80 patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma. The patients were divided into unilateral drainage group (n = 52) and bilateral drainage group (n = 28). The clinical data and the therapeutic results of the two groups were retrospectively analyzed and compared. Results The two groups were quite comparable in the patient's age, sex, clinical type, drainage way, preoperative total and direct bilirubin level, white blood cell, total protein and albumin, etc. After the treatment, the mean reduction value of the total bilirubin and direct bilirubin was 82.73 #mu#mol/L and 31.71#mu#mol/L respectively in unilateral drainage group, and was 80.28 #mu#mol/L and 50.89#mu#mol/L respectively ...
Ewing's sarcoma is a small round-cell tumor typically arising in the bones, rarely in soft tissues, of children and adolescents. Ewing's sarcoma has retained the most unfavorable prognosis of all primary musculoskeletal tumors. Prior to the use of multi-drug chemotherapy, long-term survival was less than 10%. The development of multi-disciplinary therapy with chemotherapy, irradiation, and surgery has increased current long-term survival rates in most clinical centers to greater than 50%. In addition, the preferred method of tumor resection has changed; limb salvage has nearly replaced amputation of the affected limb. Limb salvage procedures can be performed in place of amputation without compromising patient survival rates. Recent studies have revealed that the pathognomonic translocations involving the EWS gene on chromosome 22 and an ETS-type gene, which is most commonly the Fli1 gene on chromosome ...
Purpose/Objective: The role of programmed cell death (apoptosis) as a cellular response to cancer therapy such as radiation or chemotherapy is the subject of much study, and manipulation of the apoptotic response in tumor cells may be valuable in the treatment of a variety of cancers. Both p53 dependent and independent apoptotic pathways have been identified; p53 is mutated in at least 50 % of human cancers and a majority of radiation resistant tumors contain p53 mutations. This study is designed to examine the induction of programmed cell death in a human colon carcinoma cell line that possesses two mutated p53 alleles. Ionizing radiation alone, or in combination with the chemotherapeutic drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), were used to elicit the apoptotic response. This study will focus on whether these treatments can induce a significant apoptotic response in cells that have mutated p53 ...
To address the functions of FGFR2 and FGFR3 signaling during mandibular skeletogenesis, we over-expressed in the developing chick mandible, replication-competent retroviruses carrying truncated FGFR2c or FGFR3c that function as dominant negative receptors (RCAS-dnFGFR2 and RCAS-dnFGFR3). Injection of RCAS-dnFGFR3 between HH15 and 20 led to reduced proliferation, increased apoptosis, and decreased differentiation of chondroblasts in Meckel's cartilage. These changes resulted in the formation of a hypoplastic mandibular process and truncated Meckel's cartilage. This treatment also affected the proliferation and survival of osteoprogenitor cells in osteogenic condensations, leading to the absence of five mandibular bones on the injected side. Injection of RCAS-dnFGFR2 between HH15 and 20 or R...
Summary Background: Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in hemorrhagic shock is life saving. However, several clinical trials have shown that blood transfusion in the critically ill patient might be associated with adverse outcomes. Furthermore, an association between prolonged blood storage and adverse effects of RBC transfusion has been postulated. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of blood storage time on resuscitation outcome, in an animal model of hemorrhagic shock. Methods: 20 Wistar rats were phlebotomized in order to induce reversible hemorrhagic shock. Half of them were resuscitated with blood stored for a short period of time (4 days), and the other ones were resuscitated with blood stored for a prolonged time (14 days). Blood samples for hemoglobin, pH, lactate, bicarb...
Shoot tips with 3-4 leaf primordia were excised from in vitro-grown sweetpotato plants (Ipomoea batatas) infected with little leaf phytoplasma (Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia) and subjected to cryotherapy. All plants regenerated from the cryo-treated shoot tips were free of phytoplasma, whereas shoot tip culture or dehydration of shoot tips without subsequent cryotherapy resulted in phytoplasma-free plants at a frequency of only 7-10%. Histological and ultrastructural studies with light and transmission electron microscopy, respectively, indicated that cryotherapy was lethal to all cells except those in the apical dome of the meristem and the two youngest leaf primordia. These surviving parts of the shoot tip contained vascular tissue and sieve elements, but electron microscopy showed...
Summary Background Sorafenib is an oral multikinase inhibitor that blocks cell proliferation via the ERK pathway and angiogenesis via the VEGF pathway. This phase II trial was conducted to determine the efficacy and tolerability of sorafenib for the treatment of patients with metastatic urothelial cancer (UC) who had not had prior chemotherapy for advanced disease. Patients and Methods Seventeen chemo-na?ve UC patients with adequate performance status and organ function were treated with sorafenib 400?mg twice daily on a continuous basis until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was objective tumor response rate as measured by RECIST criteria. Secondary endpoints included rate of prolonged stable disease (>3?months), time to progression, median and 1?yr survival and ...
To evaluate the usefulness of radiation therapy alternative to surgery for clinical N0-N1 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). From 1976 through 1989, 116 patients with NSCLC without mediastinal involvement were treated with definitive radiation therapy alone at Gunma University Hospital. All patients were treated with once-daily standard fractionation using 10 MV X-rays. The total dose ranged from 60 Gy to 80 Gy. The actuarial 2- and 5-year survival rates of the entire group were 43% and 20%, respectively with a median survival time of 19 months. The survival of 76 patients with stage T2 tumors was significantly better than that of 28 patients with T3 tumors (mean survival time 21 versus 15.5 months; p<0.05). Sixty-two patients with tumors less than 5 cm in diameter had a 2-year progression rate of 20%, in comparison with 39% of 54 patients with tumors greater than 5 cm. The ...
The Cox proportional hazards model is the most widely used model for survival analysis because of its simplicity. The fundamental assumption in this model is the proportionality of the hazard function....Full Text Available
S100A4, a member of the Ca(2+)-activated S100 protein family, regulates the motility and invasiveness of cancer cells. Moreover, high S100A4 expression levels correlate with poor patient survival in several cancers. Although biochemical, biophysical, and structural data indicate that S100A4 is a noncovalent dimer, it is unknown if two functional S100A4 monomers are required for the productive recognition of protein targets and the promotion of cell invasion. To address this question, we created covalently linked S100A4 dimers using a glycine rich flexible linker. The single-chain S100A4 (sc-S100A4) proteins exhibited wild-type affinities for calcium and nonmuscle myosin-IIA, retained the ability to regulate nonmuscle myosin-IIA assembly, and promoted tumor cell invasion when expressed in S100A4-deficient colon carcinoma cells. Mutation of the two calcium-binding EF-hands in one ...
Spherical aggregates formed rapidly in culture by re-aggregation of trypsin-dissociated brain cells from the 17-day-old fetal rat. Over about 10 days an initially random distribution of cells evolved into a 3-layered arrangement; cells with characteristics of neurons were found largely in the intermediate layer. The survival of neuronal and glial cell types was evaluated histologically and verified by electron microscopy, which revealed synaptic and myelin structures that rapidly increased in number after 18 days in culture. Levels of norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) reached peaks of 9.5 and 4.4 ng/mg protein, respectively, at culture day 21. Uptake of ["3H]NE paralleled these amine levels and was blocked by desipramine or pretreatment with either reserpine or 6-OH-DA. Autoradiographs of aggregates labeled with ["3H]NE showed a high density of silver grains over ...
BackgroundDespite an ever-improving understanding of the molecular biology of cancer, the treatment of most cancers has not changed dramatically in the past three decades and drugs that do not discriminate between tumor cells and normal tissues remain the mainstays of anticancer therapy. Since Hsp90 is typically involved in cell proliferation and survival, this is thought to play a key role in cancer, and Hsp90 has attracted considerable interest in recent years as a potential therapeutic target.MethodsWe focused on the interaction of Hsp90 with its cofactor protein p60/Hop, and engineered a cell-permeable peptidomimetic, termed "hybrid Antp-TPR peptide", modeled on the binding interface between the molecular chaperone Hsp90 and the TPR2A domain of Hop.ResultsIt was demonstrated that this designed hybrid Antp-TPR peptide inhibited the interaction of Hsp90 with the TPR2A domain, inducing ...
Apoptosis is a pattern of cell death involving nuclear pycnosis, cytoplasmic condensation, and karyorrhexis. Apoptosis induced by continuous irradiation with gamma rays (externally given by a 137Cs source) or with beta rays (from tritiated water injected ip) was quantified in the crypts of two portions of mouse bowel, the small intestine and descending colon. The time-course change in the incidence of apoptosis after each type of radiation could be explained on the basis of the innate circadian rhythm of the cells susceptible to apoptotic death and of the excretion of tritiated water (HTO) from the body. For 6-h continuous gamma irradiation at various dose rates (0.6-480 mGy/h) and for 6 h after injection of HTO of various radioactivities (0.15-150 GBq per kg body wt), the relationships between dose and incidence of apoptosis were obtained. Survival curves were then constructed from the curves for dose vs incidence of ...
Eukaryotic genomes encode a zinc finger protein (ZPR1) with tandem ZPR1 domains. In response to growth stimuli, ZPR1 assembles into complexes with eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1A (eEF1A) and the survival motor neurons protein. To gain insight into the structural mechanisms underlying the essential function of ZPR1 in diverse organisms, we determined the crystal structure of a ZPR1 domain tandem and characterized the interaction with eEF1A. The ZPR1 domain consists of an elongation initiation factor 2-like zinc finger and a double-stranded {beta} helix with a helical hairpin insertion. ZPR1 binds preferentially to GDP-bound eEF1A but does not directly influence the kinetics of nucleotide exchange or GTP hydrolysis. However, ZPR1 efficiently displaces the exchange factor eEF1B from preformed nucleotide-free complexes, suggesting that it may function as a negative regulator of eEF1A activation. Structure-based mutational and complementation analyses reveal ...
We evaluated 190 children with very high-risk leukemia, who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in 2 sequential treatment eras, to determine whether those treated with contemporary protocols had a high risk of relapse or toxic death, and whether non-HLA-identical transplantations yielded poor outcomes. For the recent cohorts, the 5-year overall survival rates were 65% for the 37 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 74% for the 46 with acute myeloid leukemia; these rates compared favorably with those of earlier cohorts (28%, n = 57; and 34%, n = 50, respectively). Improvement in the recent cohorts was observed regardless of donor type (sibling, 70% vs 24%; unrelated, 61% vs 37%; and haploidentical, 88% vs 19%), attributable to less infection (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.12; P = .005), regimen-related toxicity (HR = 0.25; P = .002), and leukemia-related death (HR = 0.40; P = .01). Survival probability ...
The feasibility of using desferrioxamine (DF), an iron chelator, as a therapeutic agent against paraquat (PQ/sup + +/) toxicity in male Sprague-Dawley rats was explored, based on the rationale of limiting toxic hydroxyl radical production from hydrogen peroxide by removing redox-active iron. Body weights, mortality, and lung histopathology were followed for periods up to 14 days after intraperitoneal injection of PQ/sup + +/ (20 or 25 mg/kg body weight) with or without concurrent daily subcutaneous injections of DF (300 mg/day). Animals receiving PQ/sup + +/ showed the expected typical patterns of mortality and of lung histopathology, namely: marked edema, subpleural hemorrhage, acute inflammation, perivascular mononuclear cell infiltrates, sloughing of alveolar and bronchiolar lining cells, and diffuse interstitial fibrosis. Desferrioxamine alone was non-toxic. Surprisingly, results when both PQ/sup + +/ and DF were administered indicated a ...
The effects of temperature and different forms of nutrients on Chattonella marina growth have been investigated in strains isolated from the Daya Bay, the South China Sea. The strain of C. marina preferred high temperatures, with an optimal temperature of 25?C, and 18?C was the minimum for its survival. Higher cell number and growth rate were obtained in high nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations (500 ?g/L, 74 ?g/L) than under nutrient limitation. Nitrogen influenced the growth most, as the specific growth rate and maximum cell density were lower in nitrogenlimited cultures than noted under phosphorus limitation or under limitation from both. C. marina was capable of using many kinds of organic nitrogen sources including L-serine (L-Ser), glycine (Gly), alanine (Ala), L-threonine (L-Thr),...
We describe the isolation and genetic characterization of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)-induced mutations in the phage P22 mnt repressor gene cloned in plasmid pBR322. Mutations in the mnt repressor gene or its operator on this plasmid, pPY98, confer a tetracycline resistance phenotype, whereas the wild-type plasmid confers tetracycline sensitivity. Cells carrying pPY98 were briefly exposed to MNNG to give 20 to 40% survival and a 50- to 100-fold increase in tetracycline-resistant cells. DNA sequence analysis showed that 29 to 30 MNNG-induced mutations were GC-to-AT transitions and one was an AT-to-GC transition. About 80% of the mutations are in three hotspots. This mutation spectrum is consistent with the proposed mechanism of mutagenic action of MNNG, which involves mispairing of an alkylated base, O/sup 6/-methylguanine. The mnt gene may be a useful target for determining mutagenic specificity at ...
Purpose: Previous data suggest that the PKC? catalytic V5 (PKC?-V5) heptapeptide (HEPT) (FEQFLDI) binds HSP27 and blocks HSP27-mediated radio- or chemoresistance. Here we investigated further the in vivo function of the PKC?-V5 HEPT. Methods and Materials: Labeling of HEPT with Cy5.5 or fluorescein isothiocyanate was performed to evaluate in vitro or in vivo distribution of HEPT. A clonogenic survival assay, flow cytometry, and Western blotting of cleaved caspase-3 were performed to determine in vitro sensitization effects of HEPT plus ionizing radiation (IR) versus IR alone or those of HEPT plus cisplatin(Cis) versus Cis alone. A nude mouse xenografting system was also applied to detect in vivo sensitizing effects of HEPT. Results: HEPT efficiently bound to HSP27 and showed sensitization after combined treatment with IR versus treatment with Cis alone in NCI-H1299 lung carcinoma cells, with higher HSP27 expression, which was similar to that of ...
Full text: DNA rearrangement events leading to chromosomal aberrations are central to ionizing radiation-induced cell death. Although DNA double-strand breaks are probably the lesion that initiates formation of chromosomal aberrations, little is understood about the molecular mechanisms that generate and modulate DNA rearrangement. Examination of the sequences that flank sites of DNA rearrangement may provide information regarding the processes and enzymes involved in rearrangement events. Accordingly, we developed a method using inverse PCR that allows the detection and sequencing of putative radiation-induced DNA rearrangements in defined regions of the human genome. The method can detect single copies of a rearrangement event that has occurred in a particular region of the genome and, therefore, DNA rearrangement detection does not require survival and continued multiplication of the affected cell. Ionizing ...
Methods: Systemic irradiation of neuroaxis is an essential part in the management of medulloblastoma, stPNET and intracranial germ cell tumors. The introduction of quality assurance programs in radiooncology assures a precise radiotherapy of target volumes and is a prerequisite to improve survival. Results: Hyperfractionated radiotherapy has the potential of increasing dose to tumor more safely without increasing the risk for late adverse effects. Pilot studies revealed excellent tumor control in medulloblastoma with acceptable acute toxicity and a long-term survival of up to 96%. In medulloblastoma stereotactic radiation techniques reveal an acceptable toxicity and promising results in tumor control in recurrent disease or as primary treatment. They are now part of future treatment protocols in case of persisting residual tumor. Radiotherapy alone in pure germinoma is continuously yielding high cure rates. In secreting ...
Purpose: To assess the prognostic value of biologic (p53, Ki-67) and clinical factors in squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx after radical surgery and postoperative radiotherapy (RT). Methods and Materials: Between 1985 and 1995, a total of 102 patients with 104 tumor sites were entered onto the study. Fifty-five primary tumors (53%) involved the tonsils, 26 (25%) the soft palate, and 23 (22%) the base of the tongue. Median age was 53 years (range 36-80 years). The clinical T- and N-categories (UICC 1997) were: T1 (30), T2 (47), T3 (22), T4 (5), N0 (33), N1 (28), N2 (42), and N3 (1). Histologically-clear margins were achieved in all patients by initial surgery. Postoperative RT to the primary and regional lymphatics was given, to a total of 60 Gy in 6 weeks, and single daily fractions of 2 Gy. The expression of the nuclear p53- and Ki-67-labeling index (LI) was investigated by immunostaining using the monoclonal antibodies DO-7 and MIB 1. The nuclear ...
Propylene and ethylene glycol deicers are commonly used at airports in the US and other countries to remove and retard the accumulation of snow and ice on aircraft. Deicers may not only enter water bodies without treatment, due to excessive storm-related flow, but also may expose terrestrial organisms to high concentrations through surface runoff. Most available toxicity data are for aquatic vertebrates and invertebrate species; this study examined effects on terrestrial and aquatic plants. Terrestrial plant species included both a monocot (rye grass, Lolium perenne) and a dicot (lettuce, Lactuca saliva). Aquatic species included a single cell alga (Selenastrum capricomutum), and an aquatic macrophyte (duckweed, Lemna minor). Glycol deicers were obtained in the formulated mixtures used on aircraft. Pure ethylene and propylene glycol were obtained from Sigma{reg_sign}. Parameters measured included germination, root and shoot length, survival, ...
We examined whether proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) could provide accurate information on histological grade and cell proliferation in astrocytomas. We studied 23 patients with astrocytomas: five grade II, 10 grade III and eight with grade IV (glioblastoma multiforme). We performed proton MRS and determined the Ki-67 labeling index (LI), a tumour proliferation marker, in the same areas of the astrocytomas, and examined the statistical relationship between proton MRS and Ki-67 LI. The N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine-phosphocreatine (Cr) and NAA/choline (Cho)-containing compound ratios were always significantly lower and the Cho/Cr ratios significantly higher than those for normal brain. The Cho/Cr ratio correlated positively and the NAA/Cho ratio inversely with Ki-67 LI. These findings suggest that the Cho signal in proton MRS reflects cellular proliferation. In Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, there was no significant difference ...
This report briefly describes the studies on the mechanism of in vivo DNA repairing by the author in Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto Univ. for the past 30 years. First, the ability of UV radiation to induce transformation was investigated with viral DNA. The formation of thymine-thymine dimer was found harmful to organisms and such dimers were removable by UV-radiation at a low frequency. The mutability was determined in three different E.coli strains with mutator gene, mutT, mutS or mutL. The ability to excise 8-oxoguanin developed in primer DNA was deficient in mutT and miss-pairing left after DNA replication could not be recovered in mutL and mutS strains. Further, DNA repairing mechanism was investigated in other microorganisms; single-strand cleavage caused by exposure to BNCB radiation (boron-neutron-captured beam) could not be repaired in E. coli. Whereas for Deinococcus radiodurans, of which survival rate was not decreased by #gamma#-ray radiation at 5 ...
Production treatment chemicals represent a diverse collection of chemical classes, added at various points from the wellhead to the final flotation cell, to prevent operational upsets and enhance the separation of oil from water. Information in the literature indicates that while many treatment chemicals are thought to partition into oil and not into the produced water, there are cases where a sufficiently water soluble treatment chemical is added at high enough concentrations to suggest that the treatment chemical may add to the aquatic toxicity of the produced water. A study was conducted to evaluate the potential effect of production treatment chemicals on the toxicity of produced waters using the US EPA Seven-day Mysidopsis bahia Survival, Growth and Fecundity Test. Samples of produced water were collected and tested for toxicity from three platforms under normal operating conditions, followed by repeated sampling and testing after a ...
The strategies employed by oral streptococci to resist the inimical influences of acidification reflect the diverse and dynamic niches of the human mouth. All of the oral streptococci are capable of rapid degradation of sugar to acidic end-products. As a result, the pH value of their immediate environment can plummet to levels where glycolysis and growth cease. At this point, the approaches for survival in acid separate the organisms. Streptococcus mutans, for example, relies on its F-ATPase, to protect itself from acidification by pumping protons out of the cells. S. salivarius responds by degrading urea to ammonia and S. sanguis produces ammonia by arginolysis. The mechanisms by which these organisms regulate their particular escape route are now being explored experimentally. The picture that emerges is that the acid-adaptive regulatory mechanisms of the oral streptococci differ markedly from those employed by Gram-negative bacteria. What ...
Background and AimsIn spatially heterogeneous environments, a trade-off between seedling survival and relative growth rate may promote the coexistence of plant species. In temperate...Full Text Available
Although genetic engineering techniques for baker's yeast might improve the yeast's fermentation characteristics, the lack of scientific data on the survival of such strains in natural environments...Full Text Available
BackgroundDiscovery of biomarkers that are correlated with therapy response and thus with survival is an important goal of medical research on severe diseases, e.g. cancer. Frequently,...Full Text Available
BackgroundEwing sarcoma (ES) is the second most common bone tumor in children, and survival of those with metastatic ES has not improved. Previous studies have shown...Full Text Available
Objectives:Cachexia is common in pancreatic cancer and may have an influence on longterm survival but few studies have investigated this in patients with operable tumours. Therefore,...Full Text Available
In vitro phagocytosis and intracellular survival of Campylobacter jejuni strain 2964 in mononuclear phagocytes were studied. The following three types of mononuclear phagocytes were used: a J774G8 peritoneal...Full Text Available
BackgroundLymph node metastasis in endometrial cancer significantly decreases survival rate. Few data on the influence of intratumoral lymphatic microvessel density (LMVD) on survival...Full Text Available
The IRG protein Irgm3 preserves cellsurvival during coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infection. However, the molecular mechanisms are not clear. Here, we examined the effect of Irgm3 expression on ER stress triggered by pharmacological agents or CVB3 infection. In Tet-On/Irgm3 HeLa cells, Irgm3 expression suppressed either chemical- or CVB3-induced upregulation of glucose-regulated protein78. Further, Irgm3 strongly inhibited the activation of both the PERK and ATF6 pathways of ER stress responses, which further led to the diminished phosphorylation of eIF2?, reduced cleavage/activation of transcription factor SREBP1 and attenuated induction of proapoptotic genes CHOP and GADD34. These data were further supported by experiments using Irgm3 knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts, in which the ER stress induced by CVB3 was not relieved due to the lack of Irgm3 expression. In addition, the tunicamycin-triggered ER stress promoted the ...
Serotonin is an important signaling molecule involved in the control of feeding in flies and other animals. In this study, a potential neurohemal release site for serotonin and the effects of exogenous serotonin on protein feeding were examined in the black blow fly, Phormia regina. A dense network of varicose neural processes exhibiting serotonin-like immunoreactivity was identified on the dorsal region of the thoracico-abdominal ganglion in P. regina. This dorsal region of the central nervous system is a likely site for the release of serotonin into the hemolymph. Circulating serotonin may have multiple systemic effects on fly physiology, including modulating or regulating feeding related processes and diuresis. Injections of exogenous serotonin reduced protein meal size in female flies ...
There is a thermal range for the operation of neural circuits beyond which nervous system function is compromised. Locusta migratoria is native to the semiarid regions of the world and provides an excellent model for studying neural phenomena. In this organism previous exposure to sublethal high temperatures (heat shock, HS) can protect neuronal function against future hyperthermia but, unlike many organisms, the profound physiological adaptations are not accompanied by a robust increase of Hsp70 transcript or protein in the nervous system. We compared Hsp70 increase following HS in the tissues of isolated and gregarious locusts to investigate the effect of population density. We also localized Hsp70 in the metathoracic ganglion (MTG) of gregarious locusts to determine if HS affects Hsp70 ...
The concept of frailty offers a convenient way to introduce unobserved heterogeneity and associations into models for survival data. In its simplest form, frailty is an unobserved random proportionality factor that modifies the hazard function of an individual or a group of related individuals. "Frailty Models in Survival Analysis" presents a comprehensive overview of the fundamental approaches in the area of frailty models. The book extensively explores how univariate frailty models can represent unobserved heterogeneity. It also emphasizes correlated frailty models as extensions of
Radiotherapy has been reported to be of benefit in prolonging the survival of patients with cholangiocarcinoma. This study examined whether radiotherapy in addition to endoscopic stenting improved survival. The survival advantage of radiotherapy in those with a type II/III stricture is seen only in the first 10 months after diagnosis. The costs of radiotherapy and significantly increased time spent in hospital, however, raise doubts over its routine use in the management of non-resectable cholangiocarcinoma. (Author).
We analyzed 16 radiographic features of primary Ewing's sarcoma in 342 patients from the IESS 7299 (Intergroup Ewing's Sarcoma Study) for prognostic significance. Of these, 3 features demonstrated a statistically significant relationship to survival: maximal tumor dimension, tumor location, and an appearance of honeycombing within the lesion. Those individuals with primary lesions centered in the pelvis, femur, or humerus had a worse survival rate than those with lesions centered elsewhere. Similarly, we observed an inverse relationship between the greatest dimension of the osseous portion of the lesion and survival. The radiographic finding of honeycombing also showed a statistical association with improved survival. However, this feature was observed infrequently, and its significance should be assessed further. Otherwise, no other feature that we analyzed showed any relationship to patient prognosis. ...
Neuron differentiation is a complex process involving various cell-cell interactions, and multiple signaling pathways. We showed previously that CD40 is expressed and functional on mouse and human neurons. In neurons, ligation of CD40 protects against serum withdrawal-induced injury and plays a role in survival and differentiation. CD40 deficient mice display neuron dysfunction, aberrant neuron morphologic changes, and associated gross brain abnormalities. Previous studies by Tone and colleagues suggested that five isoforms of CD40 exist with two predominant isoforms expressed in humans: signal-transducible CD40 type I and a C-terminal truncated, non-signal-transducible CD40 type II. We hypothesized that differential expression of CD40 isoform type I and type II in neurons may modulate neuron differentiation. Results show that adult wild-type, and CD40"-"/"- deficient mice predominantly express CD40 type I and II isoforms. Whereas adult ...
Purpose: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of heated (60 deg. C) lipiodol via hepatic artery administration in a rabbit model of VX2 liver cancer. Materials and methods: Thirty male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into three groups with 10 rabbits assigned to each group. VX2 carcinoma cells were surgically implanted into the left hepatic lobe. The tumors were allowed to grow for 2 weeks, and studies were performed until the diameter of the tumors detected by ultrasonograph reached 2-3 cm. Under anesthesia, trans-catheter hepatic arterial embolization was performed and doxorubicin-lipiodol (37 deg. C) (1 mL), lipiodol (60 deg. C) (1 mL) or control (physiological saline (37 deg. C) (1 mL)) solution was injected into the hepatic arteries of animals in the three groups. One week later, the volume of the tumor was measured by ultrasonograph again. The serum of all rabbits was collected before injection and at 4 and 7 days after injection, and the level ...
Purpose: Antitumor activity of the dichloroplatinum(II)-histamine complexes labeled with I-125 or I-131 was investigated in a transplantable murine adenocarcinoma (MA) model. Methods: The tumor model was obtained in C3H/W female mice after subcutaneous inoculation of the tumor cells derived from the mice bearing a mammary tumor of spontaneous origin. Antitumor activities of the platinum-histamine complexes were investigated in three independent experiments, which differed in applied doses of preparations (PtCl{sub 2}Hist, PtCl{sub 2}[{sup 125}I]Hist, PtCl{sub 2}[{sup 131}I]Hist, PtCl{sub 2}Hist/PtCl{sub 2}[{sup 125}I]Hist and PtCl{sub 2}Hist/PtCl{sub 2}[{sup 131}I]Hist), treatment schedules as well as stages of the disease progress in the animals used. Experiment 1 included long-term, multidose treatment with low single doses (treatment duration 31-32 days; 8-10 doses of ca. 0.25{center_dot}MTD{sub Pt} each). Experiment 2 included short-term, multidose treatment ...
''Paraquat lung'' which is complicated with paraquat poisoning has been a lethal pulmonary pathology presenting intra-alveolar fibrosis, but an effective therapy has not been developed so far. We hypothesized that the type II alveolar cells producing surfactant were damaged by paraquat which was actively accumulated through out the blood by alveolar epithelial cells. To prove this hypothesis, we examined the effect of an intratracheal administration of an artificial lung surfactant (surfacten, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Osaka) on mortality in a model of murine paraquat poisoning. Paraquat was given intramuscularly 3 days after the intratracheal surfactant administration. The mice used were C57BL/6J strain and Balb/C strain. The lethal dose, 50% (LD50), of paraquat was about 28 mg/kg in the C57BL/6J strain and about 9 mg/kg in the Balb/C strain, respectively. Mortalities of paraquat poisoning in both strains of mice improved ...
Purpose: To evaluate the role of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) for the treatment of brain metastases in patients with renal cell cancer (RCC). Patients and methods: 88 patients were treated with either SRS (n = 51) or SRS + WBRT (n = 17) for one to three lesions, or with WBRT (n = 20) for more than three brain metastases. Overall survival (OS), intracerebral control (IC) and local control (LC) were retrospectively analyzed. Six potential prognostic factors were assessed: age, gender, number of brain metastases, extracerebral metastases, recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) class, and interval from tumor diagnosis to irradiation. Results: The median times for OS, IC, and LC from the time of diagnosis were 11, 9, and 10 months. The median OS times for SRS, SRS + WBRT, and WBRT were 12, 16, and 2 months. Addition of WBRT to the SRS improved IC (p = 0.032) but not OS (p = 0.703). On multivariate analyses, ...
Combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy (CRC) is actually one important way of research in oncology. Theoretical advantages are: (1) Spatial cooperation; (2) Additivity, which is only obtained if the toxicity of each modality are different; (3) Supra-additivity, which needs a rigorous in vitro definition; the only way to prove it is to make an isobologram analysis. This model has however, some limitations: qualitative variable could not be used, results could be different, depending on the cell line and isoeffect chosen...In fact, a supra-additivity was only demonstrated for cis platinum and etoposide. Interactions mechanisms were: (1) at the molecular level, creation of new lesions or inhibition of radiation lesions repair; (2) At the cellular level, either cytokinetic cooperation with S-phase dependent drugs, or synchronization for the drugs which blocked the cells in M-phase; (3) At the tissular level, reoxygenation, cycle ...
Purpose: Extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is a rare malignancy. Despite radical resection, survival remains poor, with high rates of local and distant failure. To clarify the role of radiotherapy with chemotherapy, we performed a retrospective analysis of resected patients who had undergone chemoradiotherapy. Methods and Materials: A total of 45 patients (13 with proximal and 32 with distal disease) underwent resection plus radiotherapy (median dose, 50.4 Gy). All but 1 patient received concurrent fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy. The median follow-up was 30 months for all patients and 40 months for survivors. Results: Of the 45 patients, 33 underwent adjuvant radiotherapy, and 12 were treated neoadjuvantly. The 5-year actuarial overall survival, disease-free survival, metastasis-free survival, and locoregional control rates were 33%, 37%, 42%, and 78%, respectively. The median ...
There is very little known about the long-term evolution of the MHC and MHC-like molecules. This is because both the theory (the evolutionary questions and models) and the practice (the animals systems, functional assays and reagents to identify and characterize these molecules) have been difficult to develop. There is no molecular evidence yet to decide whether vertebrate immune systems (and particularly the MHC molecules) are evolutionarily related to invertebrate allorecognition systems, and the functional evidence can be interpreted either way. Even among the vertebrates, there is great heterogeneity in the quality and quantity of the immune response. The functional evidence for T-lymphocyte function in jawless and cartilagenous fish is poor, while the bony fish seem to have many characteristics of a mammalian immune system. The organization and sequence of fish Ig genes also indicate that important events in the evolution of the immune system and the MHC occurred in the fish, but ...
Purpose: Patients with mycosis fungoides [cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL)] may benefit from adjuvant therapy after completing total skin electron beam therapy (TSEBT). We report the results for (T1(T2)) CTCL patients treated with adjuvant oral psoralen plus ultraviolet light (PUVA) with respect to overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), salvage of recurrence, and toxicity. Methods and Materials: Between 1974 and 1993, TSEBT was administered to a total of 213 patients with CTCL. Records were reviewed retrospectively, and a total of 114 patients were identified as having T1 or T2 disease. Radiotherapy was provided via a 6-MeV linac to a total of 36 Gy, 1 Gy/day, 4 days/week, for 9 weeks. Beginning in 1988, patients were offered adjuvant PUVA within 2 months of completing TSEBT. This was started at 0.5-2 J/m"2, 1-2 treatments/week, with a taper over 3-6 months. Therapy then continued once per month. There were 39 ...
Heart failure has been singled out as an emerging epidemic, which could be the result of increased incidence and/or increased survival leading to increased prevalence. Knowledge of the responsibility...Full Text Available
Background:Prolonged mechanical ventilation is increasingly common. It is expensive and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Our objective is to comprehensively characterize...Full Text Available
In the last two decades rectal cancer has changed from a surgically managed disease into a multidisciplinary treatment model resulting in considerable improvements in the survival and outcome. This...Full Text Available
material may survive intact and mix back into interstellar gas clouds, helping to fuel the next generation of stars. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.,...
Modern advances in the concept and the techniques of megavoltage radiation therapy have revolutionized the treatment of medulloblastoma. Five-year survivals of 50 to 70 percent are achieved by craniospinalaxis...Full Text Available
Two-way communication between the conceptus and the mother during early pregnancy is essential if the pregnancy is to survive. In this review, our primary focus is on biochemical communication...Full Text Available
... is reduced: 1) by lack of oxygen, 2) in hypercapnia associated with closed rooms or tents, 3) by use of sleeping drugs, antipyretics, insulin, and 4 ...
Astaxanthin (ATX) is a dietary carotenoid of crustaceans and fish that contributes to their coloration. Dietary ATX is important for development and survival of salmonids and crustaceans and has been...Full Text Available
... reliability of fiber optics in preference over space-based systems. ... STC web site at www.aiaa.org/tc ... and improve lethalities of US weapon systems 3 ...
1. The benzyl carbamyl analogue of lignocaine [2-(diethylaminoacetamido)-3-carbamyl-4-methyl-5-benzylpyrrole] at an intravenous dose of 4 mg/kg caused a blood pressure decrease of 54 mmHg. 2. A greater hypotensive effect was observed in hypertensive compared to normotensive animals. Anaesthesia magnified the vasodepressor effect in both groups. 3. The analogue did not possess centrally-mediated effects on blood pressure but exerted its hypotensive effect via a peripheral mechanism. 4. The analogue produced a relaxant effect on intestinal and vascular smooth muscle while exerting minimal effects on muscarinic, sympathetic, or ganglionic nicotinic receptors. 5. The analogue exhibited less cardiac depressant action on left ventricular rate (dp/dt) and force of contraction than lignocaine. 6. Lethal effects for the analogue were first observed at 16 mg/kg following intravenous administration and at 500 mg/kg following intraperitoneal administration. 7. In conclusion, ...
Thin film solar cells and solar cell testing - photovoltaic cells, radiation damage to cadmium sulfide solar cells, and airplane testing of solar cells
This report highlights four main points. (1) A residue substitution in phosphoribulokinase of Synechocystis PCC 6803 renders the mutant light-sensitive. The authors isolated a light-sensitive mutant (BRLS) of the photosynthetic cyanobacterium Synechocystis 6803 that does not survive exposure to bright light; 70% of BRLS cells die upon exposure to light of > 3000 lux for 2 hr. (2) Excitation energy transfer from phycocyanin to chlorophyll in an apcA-defective mutant of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. A greenish mutant of the normally bule-green cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PC 6803, designated UV6p, was isolated and characterized. UV6p possesses functional photosystems I and II but lacks normal light harvesting phycobilisomes because allophycocyanin is absent and core-specific linker proteins are almost entirely absent. (3) Deletion of the psbG1 gene of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 leads to the activation of the cryptic psbG2 ...
Retrospective analyses were performed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of intra-oral cone (IOC) radiation therapy for carcinoma of the oral tongue, especially about its faculty of local control and complications. Thirty-nine patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue were treated with IOC radiation therapy alone or in combination with external irradiation. IOC radiation therapy was given not only for T1 and T2, but also for T3 tumors. Hypofractionation was used for IOC radiation therapy. The 2 year local control rates, including surgical salvage, for T1, T2, T3 and T4 were 100%, 73.3%, 40% and 0%, respectively. The 5 year actuarial survival rates for Stage I, II, III and IV were 100%, 65.3%, 35.4% and 0%, respectively. The incidences of radiation complications, i.e. soft tissue ulceration and osteoradionecrosis, were 42.9% and 2.9%, respectively. It is suggested that relatively high rate of soft tissue ulceration was due to ...
Gastrointestinal lymphomas are almost exclusively of a non Hodgkin's type. The Western form is characterized by a higher incidence of stomach location (50 %), a MALT type (mucosa associated lymphoid tissue) (40 %), a B-cell type (90 %), and a high grade (55 %). Chronic infection with Helicobacter pylori is an important risk factor. Mediterranean lymphomas form a particular clinical and pathological entity with diffuse involvement of the small bowel and are frequently being associated with a chronic malabsorption disorder. Eradication of Helicobacter pylori in early lymphomas, and the use of tetracyclines in early Mediterranean lymphomas, have been shown to induce durable remissions. For more advanced gastric lymphomas, treatment usually consists of anthracycline-based chemotherapy followed by involved field radiotherapy. Surgery is usually reserved for complications such as perforation or bleeding, or in some selected cases for salvage after failure of non-surgical ...
The aim of this paper is to analyse the role that the Japanese Government has played in the development of alternatives to conventional vehicles, the effect of government programmes, and the importance of technical flexibility in government support schemes. The focus is on battery-powered electric vehicles (BPEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and fuel cell electric vehicles. The effects of government policy and the process of innovation are analysed from a systems approach drawing on the literature regarding technical change and innovation. The whole chain of government support, including the context in which these different policies have been implemented since the early 1970s, is studied. The Japanese Government has adopted a comprehensive strategy including R and D, demonstration programmes and market support guided by long-term strategic plans. The role of the Government has been that of a conductor in the development process supplying both R and D support ...
Abstract in english Human organism is interpenetrated by the world of microorganisms, from the conception until the death. This interpenetration involves different levels of interactions between the partners including trophic exchanges, bi-directional cell signaling and gene activation, besides genetic and epigenetic phenomena, and tends towards mutual adaptation and coevolution. Since these processes are critical for the survival of individuals and species, they rely on the existence of a c (more) omplex organization of adaptive systems aiming at two apparently conflicting purposes: the maintenance of the internal coherence of each partner, and a mutually advantageous coexistence and progressive adaptation between them. Humans possess three adaptive systems: the nervous, the endocrine and the immune system, each internally organized into subsystems functionally connected by intraconnections, to maintain the internal coherence of the system. ...
Abstract The term -stem cell- most commonly refers to embryonic stem cells, particularly in the lay media; however, it also describes other cell types. A stem cell represents a cell of multi-lineage potential with the ability for self-renewal. It is now clear that the plasticity and immortality of a given stem cell will depend on what type of stem cell it is, whether an embryonic stem cell, a fetal-placental stem cell or an adult stem cell. Stem cells offer great promise as cell-based therapies for the future. With evolving technology, much of the socio-political debate regarding stem cells can now be avoided.
This study reports on the physical-chemical behaviour of swelling di-octahedral clays (smectites) and their interaction with aqueous solutions and bacteria (Shewanella putrefaciens). Experimental results are presented for compacted clays, hydrated under confined volume conditions, using a new type of reaction-cell (the 'wet-cell' of Warr and Hoffman, 2004) that was designed for in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement. For comparison, dispersed clay systems were studied using standard batch solutions subjected to varying degrees of agitation. The combination of time-dependent in situ XRD measurements with gravimetric measurements and calculated diffraction patterns using the CALCMIX software (Plancon and Drits, 1999) allowed to successful quantification of the dynamics of water uptake and storage. This analytical procedure combined with published water vapour adsorption data enabled determination of the abundance of ...
There are few studies that focused on the prognostic value of FDG-PET on small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Not only FDG uptake (maxSUV), but also metabolic size (greatest dimension of PET positive mass) may determine the prognosis of SCLC. Here, we investigated the prognostic significance of maxSUV, and the metabolic size in SCLC patients. Biopsy-proven SCLC patients (n=21; age, means.d.=67.39y; male: female=19: 3) who had underwent FDG-PET within 4 weeks of chemotherapy initiation were enrolled. There were 7 extensive disease (ED) and 14 limited disease (LD) patients. The maxSUV and the metabolic size were measured, and then, size-incorporated maxSUV (SIMaxSUV = maxSUV x metabolic size) were calculated at individual SCLC masses. SIMaxSUV of main lesion (main-SIMaxSUV), and the summed value of SIMaxSUV of all PET positive masses (summed-SIMaxSUV) were obtained. In addition, age, stage, and %expression of glucose transporter type 1, hexokinase-II, and Ki-67 were ...
The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of postoperative radiotherapy in a case of perihilar cholagiocarcinoma by analyzing overall survival rate, patterns of failure, prognostic factors for overall survival, and toxicity. Between January 1998 and March 2008, 38 patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma underwent a surgical resection and adjuvant radiotherapy. The median patient age was 59 years (range, 28 to 72 years), which included 23 men and 15 women. The extent of surgery was complete resection in 9 patients, microscopically positive margins in 25 patients, and a subtotal resection in 4 patients. The tumor bed and regional lymphatics initially received 45 Gy or 50 Gy, but was subsequently boosted to a total dose of 59.4 Gy or 60 Gy in incompletely resected patients. The median radiotherapy dose was 59.4 Gy. Concurrent chemotherapy was administered in 30 patients. The median follow-up period was 14 months (range, 6 to 45 months). ...
This study was conducted to determine the effects of sodium pentobarbital anesthesia on survival of the dog, leukocyte response, E. coli clearance from the peripheral blood and blood glucose concentration in the leukocytotic endotoxin pre-injected canine ...
Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) are multipotent progenitor cells that have transient immunomodulatory properties on Natural Killer (NK) cells, Dendritic Cells (DC), and T cells. This...Full Text Available
Estimated kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) abundance in Lake Pend Oreille was 4.3 million during September 1986. This estimate was similar to 1985 and indicates continued suppression of the kokanee population since initial decline in the late 1960s. Atypically high survival of wild fry resulted in similar fry recruitment in 1986 as 1985, whereas hatchery-reared fry contributed only 8% to total fry recruitment as a result of low post-release survival (3%). Fry released into the Clark Fork River from Cabinet Gorge Hatchery had very low survival during emigration to Lake Pend Oreille, resulting from poor flow conditions and potentially high predation. Fry survival during emigration was twice as high during nighttime flows of 16,000 cfs than 7,800 cfs. Emigration also was faster during higher flows. Several marks were tested to differentially mark fry release groups to help determine impacts of flow and other ...
A report on the long-term follow up of the first cooperative Scandinavian Sarcoma Group study in Ewing's sarcoma of bone is presented. Fifty-two previously untreated patients entered the study between 1984 and 1990. Half of the tumors were located in the extremities and one quarter in the pelvis. The combined modality treatment consisted of 5 cycles of chemotherapy - including vincristine, methotrexate, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, bleomycin and dactinomycin. The first two cycles were followed by local resection or amputation in 35 patients and by radiotherapy alone in 17 patients. When surgery was not performed, was incomplete or yielded poor margins radiotherapy was given at a dose of 40-60 Gy. Local tumor relapses developed in 10 patients and in all but one patient were accompanied by metastatic disease. Five patients had metastasis at diagnosis and distant metastases developed after primary treatment in 27 patients after a median of 14 months. The median follow-up time for the 20 ...
Motivation: Automatic recognition of cell identities is critical for quantitative measurement, targeting and manipulation of cells of model animals at single-cell resolution. It has been...Full Text Available
We present experimental studies on the photoionization and photodissociation processes (photodestruction) of gaseous amino acids and nucleobases in interstellar and interplanetary radiation conditions analogs. The measurements have been undertaken at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS), employing vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and soft X-ray photons. The experimental set up basically consists of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer kept under high vacuum conditions. Mass spectra were obtained using photoelectron photoion coincidence technique. We have shown that the amino acids are effectively more destroyed (up to 70-80%) by the stellar radiation than the nucleobases, mainly in the VUV. Since polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have the same survival capability and seem to be ubiquitous in the ISM, it is not unreasonable to predict that nucleobases could survive in the interstellar medium and/or in comets, even as a stable cation.
The viability of Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto and Anopheles arabiensis (Diptera: Culicidae) eggs over time and the ovicidal activity of Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Cordycipitaceae) and Metarhizium anisopliae (Ascomycota: Clavicipitaceae) were investigated. Eggs were incubated in soil or leaf litter for up to 12?weeks at 26?C and 75%, 86% or >98% relative humidity (RH). Eggs were treated topically with M. anisopliae ICIPE-30 or B. bassiana I93-825 conidia in either water or oil-in-water formulations. Survival of eggs whether treated or not with fungus was similar, and untreated eggs generally did not survive longer than 2?weeks regardless of the substrate or humidity tested. After a minimal 5-day exposure, M. anisopliae at 5???106?conidia/cm2 clearly reduced the number of larvae. The...
The incidence of hilar cholangiocarcinoma is very rare worldwide. Radical resection is the only prognostic factor for long survival in patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Postoperative radiation therapy can improve local control and survival rates for patients with palliative resection, but it remains controversial in patients with radical resection. Biliary drainage can effectively release bile duct obstruction for the majority of patients with locally advanced disease, and may even prolong survival when combined with radiation therapy. Radiation therapy includes extrernal beam therapy alone, external beam therapy with intraluminal brachytheapy and new radiation technique, such as three dimentional conformal therapy and intensity modulated radiation therapy. The propective randomized clinical study is needed for further investigation in the role of combined modality therapy especially for hilar cholangiocarcinoma. ...
Effect of different factors on survival of patients with Ewing sarcoma (20 people), primary bone reticulosarcoma (43) and myeloma (10) of pelvic bones, has been studied. Independently of the method of treatment, the rate of 3-year survival from reticulosarcoma start constituted (31.5+-7.1)%, Ewing sarcoma - (33.0+-10.8)%, myeloma - (36.0+-15.9)%. Index of 5-year survival in case of reticulosarcoma constituted (20.9+-6.4)%, Ewing sarcoma - (23.6+-11.0)%, myeloma - (36.0+-15.9)%. Improvement of delayed results after prophylactic therapy courses is pointed out. Degree of pelvic bone affection is of a very important prognostic value.
The philosophy pervading the treatment approach to Ewing's sarcoma was to have therapy encompass all foci of disease, including sites of occult or potential involvement in addition to obvious clinical manifestations. The experience with integrated methods of treatment in 66 consecutive patients at the National Cancer Institute is reviewed. A median survival of 18 months (44 percent 2 year survival rate) for patients with recognizable metastases on admission bears impressive witness to the value of adjuvant therapy in Ewing's sarcoma. Even more encouraging, an uncorrected 5 year survival rate of 53 percent (42 percent continuously free of disease) for patients given ''pyrophylactic'', adjuvant therapy indicates the potential for permanent control of disease in a significant fraction of cases with clinically localized primary tumors. (U.S.).
This study concerns the thermotolerance of spores of mesophilic fungi isolated from a tropical semi-arid habitat subject to dry season fire in the Western Ghats, southern India. Among 25 species of Ascomycota isolated from leaf litter, nine were able to grow after incubation in a drying oven for 2h at 100degreeC; the spores of two of these species survived 2h incubation at 110degreeC, and one survived exposure to 115degreeC for 2h. The range of thermotolerance among mesophilic fungi isolated from the leaf litter was surprising: filamentous fungi from other habitats, including species that colonize scorched vegetation after fires and thermophilic forms occurring in self-heating plant composts, cannot survive even brief exposure to such high temperatures. It is possible that the exceptional ...
Purpose.To evaluate morphologic and functional contributions of Arrestin 1 (Arr1) and Arrestin 4 (Arr4) in cone photoreceptors, the authors examined the phenotypes of visual arrestin...Full Text Available
Due to increased deployments with varied missions and new technologies/advanced threats against U.S. Soldiers, a clear need arose for developing camouflage pattern(s) to enhance the Warfighter's survivability' on the modern battlefield. Based on these tec...
Treatment with sorafenib prolongs both the median survival and time to progression by nearly 3 months in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Although the effects of combining sorafenib...Full Text Available
Sixty-five patients operated with total pancreatectomy were reviewed with respect to factors influencing operative mortality and morbidity, long-term survival, and metabolic sequelae. The diagnoses...Full Text Available
SummarySurvival requires the selection of appropriate behavioural responses in the face of danger. With respect to the threat of predation, both the decision to escape and the underlying...Full Text Available
The ability to enter a hypometabolic state upon restriction of caloric intake is pivotal for animal survival: balancing the energy budget in endotherms can be a real struggle when food is not...Full Text Available
The ability to respond to stress is at the core of an organism's survival. The hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine play a central role in stress responses in mammals, which require the synchronized...Full Text Available
Small metallic fragments can be trapped in combustible cartridge cases during manufacture and released into the interior-ballistic flow upon combustion of the case. Such particles may survive the interior-ballistic cycle and pose an ignition threat to the...
BackgroundAdolescents have been identified as a high-risk group for poor adherence to and defaulting from combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) care. However, data on outcomes...Full Text Available
Disorders of mitochondrial fat metabolism lead to sudden death in infants and children. Although survival is possible, the underlying molecular mechanisms which enable this outcome have not yet been...Full Text Available
Staphylococcus aureus preferentially catabolizes glucose, generating pyruvate, which is subsequently oxidized to acetate under aerobic growth conditions. Catabolite repression of the...Full Text Available
Hibernators are unique among mammals in their ability to survive extended periods of time with core body temperatures near freezing and with dramatically reduced heart, respiratory, and metabolic rates...Full Text Available
A copper-resistant strain (09906) of Pseudomonas fluorescens that was isolated from a citrus grove soil is being investigated as a biological control agent for Phytophthora root rot. Since citrus grove...Full Text Available
The classic evolutionary theory of aging explains why mortality rises with age: as individuals grow older, less lifetime fertility remains, so continued survival contributes less to reproductive fitness....Full Text Available
Background:Liver resection of large hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), measuring at least 10 cm remains a controversial debate. Multiple studies on HCCs treated with surgical resection...Full Text Available
Background. Detection of subjects with early chronic kidney disease (CKD) is important because some will progress up to stage 5 CKD, and most are at high risk of cardiovascular morbidity...Full Text Available
Polyandrous mating is common, but the benefits for females of polyandry remain controversial. To test whether mating with multiple males affects female fitness, we compared lifetime components of fitness...Full Text Available
The introduction and survival of zoonotic bacterial pathogens in poultry farming have been linked to bacterial association with free-living protozoa. To date, however, no information is available on...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe survival of hemodialysis patients requiring dialysis depends on the long-term functioning and patency of the vascular access. Prosthetic vascular grafts are inevitably...Full Text Available
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease with poor survival. The identification of therapeutic targets is essential to improving outcomes. Previous studies found that expression...Full Text Available
Patients with pancreatic cancer normally present with advanced disease that is lethal and notoriously difficult to treat. Survival has not improved dramatically, despite routine use of chemotherapy...Full Text Available
Background and objectives: Blacks are over-represented among dialysis patients, but they have better survival rates than whites. It is unclear if the over-representation of blacks on dialysis is due...Full Text Available
Increased oxidative stress is associated with perinatal asphyxia and respiratory distress in the newborn period. Induction of nuclear factor erythroid 2 p45-related factor (Nrf2) has been shown to decrease...Full Text Available
Early detection of precancerous tissue has significantly improved survival of most cancers including colorectal cancer (CRC). Animal models designed to study the early stages of cancer are valuable...Full Text Available
There has been great interest in understanding the methods by which collagen-based load-bearing tissue is constructed, grown and maintained in vertebrate animals. To date, the responsibility for this...Full Text Available
Bone metastasis of primary colorectal cancer is uncommon. When it occurs, it is usually a late manifestation of disease and is indicative of poor prognosis. We describe a patient with multiple metachronous...Full Text Available
In the information age, information utilities like libraries are as sensitive to the stresses of change as any other organization. This article is a case study of a small, specialized medical library...Full Text Available
The rate of survival for infants with intact giant exomphatos has much improved during the last 20 years; this is partly due to better respiratory and nutritional support. The use of a staged operative...Full Text Available
This article examines the effects of competition of geothermal energy production with other technologies. The topics of the article include near-term market growth, cause for cautious optimism, limits to development of geothermal energy production, economic arguments for development of geothermal power plants, the effects of a competitive market on industry survival.
The National Cancer Institute Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize a gene signature for prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients.
BackgroundA systematic review was conducted to evaluate the literature regarding the impact of follow-up on colorectal cancer patient survival and, in a second phase, recommendations...Full Text Available
Aims: To ascertain why 19.6% of pregnancies in which a fetal renal anomaly has been detected fail to produce a surviving child, and whether antenatal diagnostic accuracy has altered since...Full Text Available
All eukaryotes require mitochondria for survival and growth. The origin of mitochondria can be traced down to a single endosymbiotic event between two probably prokaryotic organisms. Subsequent evolution...Full Text Available
Background:There is a need for simple imaging parameters capable of predicting therapeutic outcome.Methods:This retrospective study analysed 50 patients...Full Text Available
BackgroundA previous study showed for Anopheles gambiae s.s. a gradation of feeding preference on common plant species growing in a malaria holoendemic area in western...Full Text Available
In response to reports that the contamination of food can occur during the on-farm primary phase of food production, we report data that describes a possible cost-effective intervention measure. The...Full Text Available
Many pathogens colonize different anatomical sites, but the selective pressures contributing to survival in the diverse niches are poorly understood. Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is...Full Text Available
Health education and awareness involves providing knowledge about causes of illness and choices to promote a change in individual behaviour and, thus, improves survival of individuals. Studies have,...Full Text Available
Ewing sarcoma (ES) is the second most common type of primary bone malignancy in children and young adults. Survival rates for localized ES have improved to upwards of 70% with aggressive chemotherapy...Full Text Available
Evolutionary explanations for life history diversity are based on the idea of costs of reproduction, particularly on the concept of a trade-off between age-specific reproduction and parental survival,...Full Text Available
Urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract represents only 5% of all urothelial cancers. The 5-year cancer-specific survival in the United States is roughly 75% with grade and stage being the most...Full Text Available
A mesophilic yeast, Candida utilis, and a psychrophilic yeast, Leucosporidium stokesii, were subjected to freeze-thaw cycling over the range 25 to -60 C. Viability...Full Text Available
Approximately 20% to 30% of patients who undergo coronary arteriography for the evaluation of chest pain are found to have normal coronary arteries. These patients have a survival rate comparable to...Full Text Available
BackgroundWide resection with tumor-free margins is necessary in soft-tissue sarcomas to minimize local recurrence and to contribute to long-term survival. Information about treatment...Full Text Available
PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate 3.5 years-cumulative survival rate of implants placed on augmented sinus using Osteon, a bone graft material, and to assess the height...Full Text Available
PurposeOcular surface disease following penetrating keratoplasty has been shown to increase patient morbidity and adversely affect graft survival. Five cases of dense central subepithelial...Full Text Available
BackgroundNormal and pathological processes entail the production of oxidative substances that can damage biological molecules and harm physiological functions. Organisms have evolved...Full Text Available
The aggregation substance (AS) of Enterococcus faecalis, encoded on sex pheromone plasmids, is a surface-bound glycoprotein that mediates aggregation between bacteria thereby facilitating...Full Text Available
Life-history theory predicts that traits involved in maturity, reproduction and survival correlate along a fast–slow continuum of life histories. Evolutionary theories and empirical results...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn malarious areas of the world, a higher proportion of the population has blood group O than in non-malarious areas. This is probably due to a survival advantage conferred...Full Text Available
Rapid development in genomics in recent years has allowed the simultaneous measurement of the expression levels of thousands of genes using DNA microarrays. This has offered tremendous potential...Full Text Available
The survival time of golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) after whole-body "6"0Co-#gamma#-irradiation in the range of 600 to 200 000 rad was investigated. The two plateaus of the dose-survival curve which correspond to bone marrow and gastrointestinal death are similar to those of other species such as mice, rats and mongolian gerbils. A new plateau occurring 40-57 hours after doses of 30 000-60 000 rad, where there is a little reduction in survival time, has been found. It is in addition to the well recognized central nervous system (CNS) syndrome. This plateau is observed only in golden hamsters, presumably because of their relatively high resistance to CNS syndrome. Experiments involving partial body irradiation of the animals indicate that the target is in the cephalic one-third of abdomen. The new segment may well indicate a new type of acute somatic radiation injury different from the well known bone marrow, ...
Gene expression profiling has played an important role in cancer risk classification and has shown promising results. Since gene expression profiling often involves determination of a set of...Full Text Available
The book is a German translation of an American textbook with the original title ''MRI Survival Guide'' and is intended to serve as an introductory guide for beginners or a reference book for quick information. Readers will find information on the fundamentals of the technology and methodology of MRI as well as all details of relevance to practice in a precise and easy-to-grasp arrangement, covering all anatomic areas of interest, illustrations and descriptions of characteristic signs of pathologic processes, high-quality and unusually large-sized diagnostic pictures, a modern didactic concept for quick orientation, including surveys, tables, and reproductions for visualisation of contents. (orig./CB)
The results of treatment of 134 cases of morphologically-verified localized Ewing's sarcoma were evaluated. A comparative analysis showed relapse-free survival to be significantly lower for radiation treatment (23 %) than for its combination with various cytostatic drugs. Two-year relapse-free survival rate was as high as 43 % in cases receiving sarcolysin or cyclophosphamide as adjuvants. This was matched by 47 % for adjuvant ardiamycin or carminomycin and 56 % for adriamycin plus cyclophosphamide and vincristine. Evaluation of long-term results of adjuvant chemotherapy showed sex, age and site involvement to be of certain prognostic value.
The common envelope phase of binary star evolution plays a central role in many evolutionary pathways leading to the formation of compact objects in short period systems. Using three dimensional hydrodynamical computations, we review the major features of this evolutionary phase, focusing on the conditions that lead to the successful ejection of the envelope and, hence, survival of the system as a post common envelope binary. Future hydrodynamical calculations at high spatial resolution are required to delineate the regime in parameter space for which systems survive as compact binary systems from those for which the two components of the system merge into a single rapidly rotating star. Recent algorithmic developments will facilitate the attainment of this goal.
We studied telomeric DNA in leukemic cells as well as in normal T cells, B cells, monocytes, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells. No marked differences were...Full Text Available
In 1996, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the University of Washington completed the fourth year of a multi-year study to estimate survival of juvenile salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) passing through dams and reservoirs on the Snake River. Actively migrating smolts were collected near the head of Lower Granite Reservoir and at Lower Granite Dam, tagged with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags, and released to continue their downstream migration. Individual smolts were subsequently detected at PIT-tag detection facilities at Lower Granite, Little Goose, Lower Monumental, McNary, John Day and Bonneville Dams. Survival estimates were calculated using the Single-Release (SR) and Paired-Release (PR) Models. Timing of releases of tagged hatchery steelhead (O. mykiss) from the head of Lower Granite Reservoir and yearling chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) from Lower Granite Dam in 1996 spanned the major portion of their juvenile migrations. ...
Background and purpose: In order to investigate the feasibility, toxicity and antitumor efficacy of hyperfractionated radiation therapy, 37 adult patients with incompletely resected supratentorial low-grade glioma were entered into a phase II study. Materials and methods: The radiation therapy dose was 55 Gy in 50 fractions in 25 treatment days over 5 weeks to the tumor plus a 2-cm margin, with an additional 17.6 Gy given in 16 fractions in 8 treatment days over 1.5 weeks to the tumor plus a 1-cm margin, using 1.1 Gy b.i.d. fractionation with a 6 h interfraction interval. The total tumor dose was 72.6 Gy in 66 fractions in 33 treatment days over 6.5 weeks. Results: The median survival time (MST) for all 37 patients has not yet been attained, while 5- and 7-year survival rates were 75% and 69%, respectively. The median time to tumor progression (MTP) has also not yet been attained, while 5- and 7-year progression-free ...
We have investigated the properties of nerve cell precursors in hydra by analyzing the differentiation and proliferation capacity of interstitial cells in the peduncle of Hydra oligactis, which is a region of active nerve cell differentiation. Our results indicate that about 50% of the interstitial cells in the peduncle can grow rapidly and also give rise to nematocyte precursors when transplanted into a gastric environment. If these cells were committed nerve cell precursors, one would not expect them to differentiate into nematocytes nor to proliferate apparently without limit. Therefore we conclude that cycling interstitial cells in peduncles are not intermediates in the nerve cell differentiation pathway but are stem cells. The remaining interstitial cells in the peduncle are ...
A silicon solar cell assembly comprising a large, thin silicon solar cell bonded to a metal mount for use when there exists a mismatch in the thermal expansivities of the device and the mount.
Experiments were designed to elucidate whether or not the irradiated bone marrow cells receive any stimulation for the self-replication and differentiation from normal 'stromal' cell colonies in the bone marrow cell culture in vitro. When irradiated or unirradiated bone marrow cells were overlaid on the normal adherent cell colonies, the proliferation of haemopoietic stem cells was supported, the degree of the stimulation depending on the starting cellular concentration. There was, however, no significant changes in the concentration of either CFUs or CFUc regardless of the dose of irradiation on the bone marrow cells overlaid. This was a great contrast to the dose-dependent decrease of CFUs or CFUc within the culture in which both the stem cells and stromal cells were ...
Ethane oxidation was studied in ethane-grown resting cells (mycelia) of an Acremonium sp. and in cell-free preparations of such mycelia. From resting cell experiments evidence was found for a pathway...Full Text Available
In most adult tissues there reside pools of stem and progenitor cells inside specialized microenvironments referred to as niches. The niche protects the stem cells from inappropriate expansion...Full Text Available
... Fuel Cell Technologies Equipment on Environmental Expert Find and compare a variety of fuel cell technologies equipment on the world's largest environmental industry portal. View ...
Cell cultures were prepared from lung tumors occurring in beagles following exposure to inhaled plutonium. Morphologic and growth characteristics of two of these cell lines are described.
We report the isolation of adherent, clonogenic, fibroblast-like cells with osteogenic and adipogenic potential from the blood of four mammalian species. These cells phenotypically resemble but are...Full Text Available
Purpose: To identify results and prognostic factors on long-term survival and local control following treatment of localized Ewing's sarcoma. Patients and Methods: Between 1979 and 2004, a total of 60 children and young adults with Ewing's sarcoma were treated. Patients with distant metastases at presentation (n = 6) and recurrent cases (n = 2) were excluded from this analysis. Patients were exclusively treated within ongoing national and international protocols CESS-81, CESS-86, EICESS-92, EURO-EWING-99. All patients received local irradiation with a total dose of 45-60 Gy; in addition, 41 (79%) of the patients had local surgical procedures, 27 (52%) of them with clear margins. Results: Overall survival rates at 5 and 10 years were 56% and 45%, respectively. Patients #<=# 14 years at diagnosis had overall survival rates of 66% and 61% at 5 and 10 years compared to older patients with corresponding ...
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of TACE with microspheres preloaded with doxorubicin in unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (UCH). Twenty patients with UCH were observed; 9 refused, preferring other palliative care or chemotherapy, and 11 agreed to be treated with one or more cycles of DC beads loaded with doxorubicin (100-150 mg) in a TACE procedure between February 2006 and September 2007. A total of 29 individual TACE procedures were performed. Follow-up imaging was performed on all patients before, immediately after, and 4 weeks after each TACE procedure to evaluate the response and need for further treatment. Each patient received i.v hydration, antibiotics, and medications against nausea and pain before TACE. Survival rate was calculated using Kaplan-Meier survival curve. A response rate of 100% followed RECIST criteria was observed. Eight of eleven patients are alive, with a median ...
SummaryIn vivo tumor cell migration through integrin-dependent pathways is key to the metastatic behavior of malignant cells. Using quantitative in vivo...Full Text Available
Terminal differentiation of many vascular cells involves cell wall changes. Cells first elongate their primary wall, then lay down a lignified secondary wall, which is often followed by digestion of...Full Text Available
For proper tissue morphogenesis, cell divisions and cell fate decisions must be tightly and coordinately regulated. One elegant way to accomplish this is to couple them with asymmetric cell divisions....Full Text Available
Totipotent stem cells have the potential to differentiate into every cell type. Renewal of totipotent stem cells in the germline and cellular differentiation during early embryogenesis rely upon posttranscriptional...Full Text Available
We have established a cartilaginous fish cell line [Squalus acanthias embryo cell line (SAE)], a mesenchymal stem cell line derived from the embryo of an elasmobranch, the spiny dogfish...Full Text Available
AIM: To isolate and identify the biological characteristics of human colon cancer stem cells (SW1116 cells) and further study their proteome.METHODS: SW1116 cells were isolated and cultured with...Full Text Available
Interleukin 2 (IL-2) and B-cell growth factors I and II (BCGF I and BCGF II) are lymphokines produced by T cells that play a major role in T- and B-cell cooperation. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from...Full Text Available
Normal cells, both in vivo and in vitro, become quiescent after serial cell proliferation. During this process, cells can develop immortality with genomic instability,...Full Text Available
BackgroundStem cell characteristics are an important feature of human cancer cells and play a major role in the therapy resistance of tumours. Strategies to target cancer stem cells...Full Text Available
Endothelial cells and mural cells (smooth muscle cells, pericytes, or fibroblasts) are known to communicate with one another. Their interactions not only serve to support fully functional blood...Full Text Available
BackgroundAs the resident stem cells of skeletal muscle, satellite cells are activated by extracellular cues associated with local damage. Once activated, satellite cells will re-enter...Full Text Available
Craniofacial injuries require a variety of different cell types to repopulate areas of bone, cartilage, tendon, and fat. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) provide a multipotent cell source for tissue...Full Text Available
We describe the lethal, recessive accelerated-cell-death11 Arabidopsis mutant (acd11). Cell death in acd11 exhibits characteristics of animal apoptosis...Full Text Available
Somatic cell nuclear transfer or therapeutic cloning has provided great hope for stem cell-based therapies. However therapeutic cloning has been experiencing both ethical and technical difficulties....Full Text Available
Background:Stem cells can differentiate into multiple cell types, and therefore can be used for cellular therapies, including tissue repair. However, the participation of stem cells...Full Text Available
It has been postulated that thrombin binds to endothelial cells through, at least in part, cell surface glycosaminoglycans such as heparan sulfate, which could serve as antithrombin cofactor on the...Full Text Available
Hematopoietic stem cells replenish all the cells of the blood throughout the lifetime of an animal. Although thousands of stem cells reside in the bone marrow, only a few contribute to blood production...Full Text Available
In the growing chloronema cell suspension cultures of the moss Funaria hygrometrica Hedw., activities of several enzymes have been found to be cell-density-dependent. Cyclic nucleotide...Full Text Available
In preimplantation mouse development, the first cell lineages to be established are the trophectoderm (TE) and inner cell mass. TE possesses epithelial features, including apical-basal cell polarity...Full Text Available
...false Guidelines for Human Stem Cell Research Presidential Documents ...2009 Guidelines for Human Stem Cell Research Memorandum for the Heads...scientifically worthy human stem cell research, including human...
We have developed a cell-mediated mutagenesis assay in which cells with the appropriate markers for mutagenesis are co-cultivated with either lethally irradiated rodent embryonic cells that can metabolize carcinogenic hydrocarbons or with primary rat liver cells that can metabolize chemicals carcinogenic to the liver. During co-cultivation, the reactive metabolites of the procarcinogen appear to be transmitted to the mutable cells and induce mutations in them. Assays of this type make it possible to demonstrate a relationship between carcinogenic potency of the chemicals and their ability to induce mutations in mammalian cells. In addition, by simultaneously comparing the frequencies of transformation and mutation induced in normal diploid hamster cells by benzo(a)pyrene (BP) and one of its metabolites, it is possible to estimate the genetic ...
...Basic Information | Fuel Cells & Vehicles | US EPA This web page provides basic information on EPA's Fuel Cells & Vehicles web site ...including the chemical composition of fuel cell technology, how it works, descriptions of the various types of fuel cells , their availability and ... background,electrochemical,hydrogen,fuel cell,fuel cell vehicle,fuel reformer,performace,improved fuel economy,increased engine efficiency,lower emissions,zero emissions,availablity,fuel cell types,diagram,Proton ...Exchange Membrane,PEM Basic Information | Fuel Cells & Vehicles | US EPA background,electrochemical,hydrogen,fuel cell,fuel cell vehicle,fuel reformer,performace,improved fuel economy,...
Laser-assisted processing techniques for producing high-quality solar cell metallization patterns are investigated, developed, and characterized. The tasks comprising these investigations are outlined. A new batch of solar cells was processed using the laser decomposition of spun-on silver neodecanoate to metallize cells. Decomposition of silver neodecanoate was carried out at different laser powers on different cells on a given wafer to determine whether this would have any effect on cell performance. Solar cells which were written with laser powers of 5 to 8 watts, gave excellent results with cell efficiencies in the range of 14 to 16%.
... nent to the design and construction of metal-semiconductor solar cells, in that both the photovoltage and the efficiency of metal-semiconductor cells ...
Some studies suggest that giving radiation therapy after surgery for hilar cholangiocarcinoma improves the survival rate; however, many of these studies did not specify numbers of subjects or provide an impartial analysis. Thus, we evaluated the effectiveness of radiation therapy as adjuvant treatment after surgery and attempted to establish appropriate adaptation standards. We reviewed the records of 69 patients who underwent surgery for hilar cholangiocarcinoma between June 1980 and April 1998. Thirty-nine patients were treated with surgery followed by radiation therapy and 30 were treated with surgery alone. The clinicopathologic features that might have influenced prognosis were similar in the patients who received radiation therapy and those who did not. Radiation as adjuvant therapy did not have a beneficial effect on overall survival (P=0.554, log-rank test); however, it tended to improve survival in the group of ...
Abstract Common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SMAD7 (18q21) have been linked to colorectal cancer (CRC) risk in genome-wide association studies, but little is known about their effects on survival. SMAD7 regulates gastrointestinal inflammation by inhibiting transforming growth factor- (TGFB), which can act as both a tumor suppressor and a promoter of metastasis. Regular use of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) inhibitors, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), reduces the risk of developing CRC. Because COX2 overexpression reduces the growth suppressing effects of TGFB, we hypothesized that survival may depend on both SMAD7 genotype and prediagnostic NSAID use. Postmenopausal women, ages 50-74, diagnosed with incident invasive CRC from 1997 to 2002 were identified using t...
... and pathogen transmission. Because the ultimate object of stem cell research is cell-based clinical therapy, hES cells should ... 4%) Supported by grants (SC12021 and SC11012) from Stem Cell Research...
Purpose: We present an update analysis of the multiinstitutional Ewing's sarcoma study CESS 86. Methods and Materials: From January 1986 through June 1991, 177 patients with localized Ewing's sarcoma of bone, aged 25 years or less, were recruited. Chemotherapy consisted of four 9-week courses of vincristine, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide, and adriamycin (VACA) in low-risk tumors (extremity tumors =# 100 cm"3). Local therapy was an individual decision in each patient and was either radical surgery (amputation, wide resection) or resection plus postoperative irradiation with 45 Gy or definitive radiotherapy with 60 Gy (45 Gy plus boost). Irradiated patients were randomized concerning the type of fractionation in either conventional fractionation (once daily 1.8-2.0 Gy, break of chemotherapy) or hyperfractionated split-course irradiation simultaneously with the VACA/VAIA chemotherapy (twice daily 1.6 Gy, break of 12 days after 22.4 Gy and 44.8 Gy, total dose and treatment time as for ...
The presence of washed or unwashed cellophane alone or together with a bleomycin, mitomycin C or hydrochlorothiazide, ('Esidrex') showed no appreciable effect on survival of either unirradiated or irradiated conidia. Irradiation for a period of 20min reduced the survival of conidia to 20%. The growth of irradiated conidia in the presence of bleomycin, mitomycin C or Esidrex is associated with a 2- to 3-fold increase in the frequency of gene convertants, but was not accompanied by an increase in point mutants. When conidia were grown on cellophane but otherwise treated as before the frequency of gene convertants was increased 8-fold, but induction of point mutants was negligible. This effect was the same for irradiated and unirradiated conidia. The environment created by the cellophane in contract with the medium appears to affect the action of each of the three compounds synergistically. (author).
Abstract The overstory of the jarrah forest is dominated by Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) with a smaller proportion of Marri (Corymbia calophylla). There are also several smaller tree species in the areas where Alcoa mines. Alcoa's restoration aims to restore all these species at densities similar to the unmined forest. This paper describes the establishment, survival, and growth of these trees with particular focus on Jarrah. Factors affecting the growth and form of Jarrah are also discussed. Establishment of Jarrah from seed in restored sites is variable (mean 10%), and once established, survival is high over two summer droughts (96%) and still high (mean 83%) after about a decade regardless of the presence of the Jarrah dieback disease Phytophthora cinnamomi. High establishment densitie...
Background Experimental and clinical studies have identified a crucial role of microcirculation impairment in severe infections. We hypothesized that mottling, a sign of microcirculation alterations, was correlated to survival during septic shock. Methods We conducted a prospective observational study in a tertiary teaching hospital. All consecutive patients with septic shock were included during a 7-month period. After initial resuscitation, we recorded hemodynamic parameters and analyzed their predictive value on mortality. The mottling score (from 0 to 5), based on mottling area extension from the knees to the periphery, was very reproducible, with an excellent agreement between independent observers [kappa?=?0.87, 95% CI (0.72?0.97)]. Results Sixty patients were included. The SOFA scor...
The Iberian lynx is the most endangered felid in the world. Enteropathogens may threaten its survival, and therefore we analysed faecal samples from 66 different individuals (37 males and 29 females), the largest population representation studied to date. The samples were obtained from November 2005 to October 2008 in the two areas where the Iberian lynx survives: Sierra Morena and Donana (Andalusia, southern Spain). A total of 56.1% samples were parasitized with at least 6 species of helminths, including two cestodes (Hymenolepis spp. and Taenia spp.) and four Nematodes (Ancylostoma spp., Toxocara spp., Toxascaris leonina, and Capillaria sp.). In this work, the presence of Hymenolepis is reported for the first time in Lynx pardinus. The relevance of our findings is discussed focussed on t...
The authors examined the effects of large escapements of sockeye salmon in to the Kenai River and into Red and Akalura Lakes on Kodiak Island. Estimated smolt numbers outmigrating from the Kenai River decreased from 30 million in 1989 to under 500,000 in 1992. Decreased overwintering survival of age-0 juvenile sockeye salmon rearing in Skilak and Kenai lakes is the major contributor to this decline. Preliminary examination of limnological data from Skilak and Kenai Lakes provided no obvious explanation for this major decline in winter survival of juvenile sockeye. Due to differences in diel vertical migration of zooplankton among glacial lakes on the Kenai Peninsula with varying planktivores levels, the authors hypothesize that behavioral changes of zooplankton induced by predation may be a major contributor to the juvenile sockeye decline.
The presence of washed or unwashed cellophane alone or together with a bleomycin, mitomycin C or hydrochlorothiazide, ('Esidrex') showed no appreciable effect on survival of either unirradiated or irradiated conidia. Irradiation for a period of 20min reduced the survival of conidia to 20%. The growth of irradiated conidia in the presence of bleomycin, mitomycin C or Esidrex is associated with a 2- to 3-fold increase in the frequency of gene convertants, but was not accompanied by an increase in point mutants. When conidia were grown on cellophane but otherwise treated as before the frequency of gene convertants was increased 8-fold, but induction of point mutants was negligible. This effect was the same for irradiated and unirradiated conidia. The environment created by the cellophane in contract with the medium appears to affect the action of each of the three compounds synergistically.
The majority of research on homeless youth has focused on the multitude of problems faced by this vulnerable population. The current study, while acknowledging the hazards of life on the streets, seeks to explore the personal strengths and informal resources street youth rely on to navigate their environments. Qualitative data from seven focus groups conducted with street youth ages 18?24 were analyzed using content analysis. These data, rich with interactions among youth participants, highlight three important themes: developing ?street smarts,?? existence of personal strengths, and informal resources relied upon by youth to survive. Results provide valuable insights into the strengths of homeless youth that can be useful to providers in assessing street youths? service needs and increasi...
This paper applies White's (1982, Econometrica 50, 1-25) information matrix (IM) test for correct model specification to proportional hazards models of univariate and multivariate censored survival data. Several alternative estimators of the test statistic are presented and their size performance examined. White also suggested an estimator of the parameter covariance matrix that was robust to certain forms of model misspecification. This has been subsequently proposed by others (e.g., Royall, 1986, International Statistical Review 54, 221-226) and applied by Huster, Brookmeyer, and Self (1989, Biometrics 45, 145-156) as part of an independence working model (IWM) approach to multivariate censored survival data. We illustrate how the IM test can be used for both univariate data and as part of the IWM approach to multivariate data. PMID:8117901
The survival of acetabular components depends on several factors: wear, osteolysis and septic or aseptic loosening. Osteolysis seems to be the main cause for concern in cementless arthroplasties. Acetabular osteolysis results from particle debris and segmental unloading of acetabular bone by rigid sockets. We investigated a cementless elastic monoblock socket with regard to acetabular osteolysis and aseptic loosening in a cohort of young patients. We evaluated 158 hip arthroplasties with a minimum follow-up of ten?years (ten to 18) and a mean age of 42?years (18?50). The overall revision rate at 14?years was 80% with a 98% survival rate for aseptic loosening. The mean polyethylene wear rate was 0.11?mm/year. Progressive acetabular osteolysis was seen in 3% of patients evaluated. In conclus...
Abstract Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which infects not only B cells, but also T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, is associated with multiple lymphoid malignancies. Recently, the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib was reported to induce apoptosis of EBV-transformed B cells. We evaluated the killing effect of this proteasome inhibitor on EBV-associated T lymphoma cells and NK lymphoma cells. First, we found that bortezomib treatment decreased the viability of multiple T and NK cell lines. No significant difference was observed between EBV-positive and EBV-negative cell lines. The decreased viability in response to bortezomib treatment was abrogated by a pan-caspase inhibitor. The induction of apoptosis was confirmed by flow cytometric assessment of annexin V staining. Additionally, cleavage o...
In order to identify cells of maternal origin in CVS cultures, tissue from 1st trimester abortions were cultivated and the cultures stained in situ for X-chromatin. Convoluted cells and maternal fibroblasts were found to be positive. By chromosome analysis of cultures from 105 diagnostic placenta biopsies, obtained by the transabdominal route, metaphases of maternal origin were found in nine cases. In eight of these cases colonies of convoluted cells were observed. We conclude that convoluted cells are of maternal origin and are a reliable marker for maternal cell contamination in CVS cultures.
BackgroundDue to improvements in cancer survival the number of people of working age living with cancer across Europe is likely to increase. UK governments have made commitments...Full Text Available
We wanted to determine the technical and clinical efficacy of using a PTFE-covered self-expandable nitinol stent for the palliative treatment of malignant biliary obstruction. Thirty-seven patients with common bile duct strictures caused by malignant disease were treated by placing a total of 37 nitinol PTFE stents. These stents were covered with PTFE with the exception of the last 5 mm at each end; the stent had an unconstrained diameter of 10 mm and a total length of 50 80 mm. The patient survival rate and stent patency rate were calculated by performing Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The bilirubin, serum amylase and lipase levels before and after stent placement were measured and then compared using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The average follow-up duration was 27.9 weeks (range: 2 81 weeks). Placement was successful in all cases. Seventy-six percent of the patients (28/37) experienced adequate palliative drainage for the remainder of ...
The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the safety and efficacy of chemoembolization (TACE) as palliative treatment for patients with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and to compare the results with those in the literature. Fifteen patients with histology-proven CCA (5 men, 10 women) had received palliative treatment with TACE over a 6-year period. The treatment protocol comprised repeated TACE at a minimum of 8-week intervals. TACE was performed with a mixture of 10 ml Lipiodol and 10 mg mitomycin C injected into the tumor-supplying vessels. Follow-up investigations after 8-10 weeks comprised contrast-enhanced multislice spiral CT and laboratory control. Statistical evaluation included survival analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method. During the investigation period 58 TACEs (3.9 #+-# 3.8; 1-15) were performed in 15 patients. Mean tumor size was 10.8 #+-# 4.6 cm (range, 2.0-18.0 cm). Unifocal tumor disease was diagnosed in eight ...
West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that infects the central nervous system of humans and other animals. In this study, we found that C3H/HeN (C3H) mice exhibited a higher morbidity...Full Text Available
Results of treatment of 30 children with Ewing's sarcoma irradiated in the First Radiotherapy Department, Cancer Center, Warsaw, in the period 1983-1992, are described. In 40% of patients NED survival from 1 till 10 years and in 70% the local control was obtained, and no serious radiations equelae were observed. (author).
The results of treatment of 53 cases of pediatric localized Ewing's sarcoma and bone reticulosarcoma were analized. Chemoradiotherapy is a procerdure of choice in bone marrow sarcoma treatment: while overall five-year survival was 28.4#+-#6.2%, it was as high as 64.9% in cases of combined treatment (total focal dose of at least 50 Gy+polychemotherapy). Two cases of osteo- and chondrosarcoma development in exposed bone are described.
A variety of stress situations may affect the activity and survival of plant-beneficial pseudomonads added to soil to control root diseases. This study focused on the roles of the sigma factor AlgU...Full Text Available
When the vehicle-treated, sham-operated mice underwent heat stress, the fraction survival and core temperature at +4 h of body heating were found to be 5 of 15 and 34.4°C ± 0.3°C,...Full Text Available
The propagating of tachyons in an expanding universe is discussed. It is shown that a primordial tachyon in the big-bang universe cannot survive unless it had very large energy initially. In an indefinitely expanding universe the tachyon trajectory turns back in time. This time barrier is found to exist even in the quantum mechanical discussion of tachyons. This property is used to set limits on the mass of a tachyon. The possible astronomical checks on the hypothesis that neutrinos or photons may be tachyonic are also discussed. (author).
The propagation of tachyons in an expanding universe is discussed. It is shown that a primordial tachyon in the big bang universe cannot survive unless it had very large energy initially. In an indefinitely expanding universe the tachyon trajectory turns back in time. This time barrier is found to exist even in the quantum mechanical discussion of tachyons. This property is used to set limits on the mass of a tachyon. The possible astronomical checks on the hypothesis that neutrinos or photons may be tachyonic are also discussed.
... The larvae's only hope for survival is if the antibiotic tetracycline is present -because it mops up the enzyme. The developers hope male GM mosquitoes will compete with normal males for females so that repeated releases cut numbers of A. aegypti in dengue-prone areas. The mosquitoes will be released in the inland districts of Bentong in the state of Pahang, and Alor Gajah and Melaka in the state of Malacca, according to the National Biosafety Board. Each location will have two release phases: the first at a site ...
Background and Purpose: In an earlier phase II study, irradiation together with razoxane was shown to improve local control in recurrent rectal cancer. Therefore, the Austrian Society of Radiooncology (OeGRO) initiated a randomized controlled trial in 1992 to compare this combined treatment versus radiation therapy alone. Patients and Methods: Between 1992 and 1999, 36 patients with localized recurrences of rectal cancer were randomized to receive radiotherapy without (group A) or with razoxane (group B). The prognostic variables of the two groups were similar except for a longer median latency period from initial surgery to local recurrence in group A. High-energy photons with daily fractions between 170 and 200 cGy were used. The median total radiation dose was 60 Gy in each group. The patients in group B received a median razoxane dose of 9.6 g (range, 5-12 g). Main outcome measures were local control, overall survival, and toxicity. Results: The combined ...
The Department of Energy Office of Fissile Materials Disposition (DOE/MD) initiated a detailed analysis activity to evaluate each of ten plutonium disposition alternatives that survived an initial screening process. This document, Volume 2 of a four volume report, summarizes the results of these analyses for the CANDU reactor based plutonium disposition alternative.
A review of main issues in diagnosing, complex treatment and prognosis of Ewing's sarcoma is presented. Current trend in chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery of the disease is discussed. Unfavourable prognosis is attributed to the systematic character of the disease, necessitating a complex therapeutic approach. Attempts to make an optimal combination of the three therapeutic methods in order to improve survival and reduce the rate of post-treatment complications are analyzed. 37 refs., 4 tabs. (author).
Bcl-2 homologues (such as Bcl-xL) promote survival in part through sequestration of “activator” BH3-only proteins (such as Puma), preventing them from directly activating...Full Text Available
Abstract: The clustered logrank test is a nonparametric method of significance testing for correlated survival data. Examples of its application include cluster randomized trials where groups of patients rather than individuals are randomized to either a treatment or a control intervention. We describe a SAS macro that implements the 2-sample clustered logrank test for data where the entire cluster is randomized to the same treatment group. We discuss the theory and applications behind this test as well as details of the SAS code.
The herbicide atrazine is a known immunotoxicant and an inhibitor of human natural killer (NK) cell lytic function. The precise changes in NK cell lytic function following atrazine exposure have not been fully elucidated. The current study identifies the point at which atrazine exerts its affect on the stepwise process of human NK cell-mediated lyses of the K562 target cell line. Using intracellular staining of human peripheral blood lymphocytes, it was determined that a 24-h in vitro exposure to atrazine did not decrease the level of NK cell lytic proteins granzyme A, granzyme B or perforin. Thus, it was hypothesized that atrazine exposure was inhibiting the ability of the NK cells to bind to the target cell and subsequently inhibit the release of lytic protein from the NK cell. To test t...
Introduction: Haploidentical transplantation, with extensive T cell depletion to prevent GvHD, is associated with a high incidence of infection-related deaths. The key challenge is to improve immune recovery with allogeneic donor T cells without triggering GvHD. As T regulatory cells (Tregs) controlled GvHD in pre-clinical studies, the present study evaluated the impact of an infusion of donor CD4/CD25 + Tregs, followed by an inoculum of donor mature T cells (Tcons) and positively immunoselected CD34 + cells in the setting of haploidentical stem cell transplantation. Patients and methods: Twenty-eight patients were enrolled in this study (22 AML; 5 ALL; 1 NHL). All received immunoselected Tregs (CliniMACS, Miltenyi Biotec) followed by positively immunoselected CD34 + cells together with Tc...
The presence of a high number of activated T cells in the bloodstream and spontaneous proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro are striking characteristics of human T-cell leukemia...Full Text Available
The article is the second part of a review dealing with latest developments in the area of solar cell technologies and application. Physical principles, design and efficiency as well as advantages and disadvantages of GaAs- and CdS-solar cells are described. Power generation solar cell systems with voltage converters, combined solar cell/solar collector systems and thermoelectric solar systems are presented in the second part of the article.
The herbicide atrazine is a known immunotoxicant and an inhibitor of human natural killer (NK) cell lytic function. The precise changes in NK cell lytic function following atrazine exposure have not been fully elucidated. The current study identifies the point at which atrazine exerts its affect on the stepwise process of human NK cell-mediated lyses of the K562 target cell line. Using intracellular staining of human peripheral blood lymphocytes, it was determined that a 24-h in vitro exposure to atrazine did not decrease the level of NK cell lytic proteins granzyme A, granzyme B or perforin. Thus, it was hypothesized that atrazine exposure was inhibiting the ability of the NK cells to bind to the target cell and subsequently inhibit the release of lytic protein from the NK cell. To test this hypothesis, flow cytometry ...
Cell therapy is a promising novel option for treatment of cardiovascular disease. Because the role of bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells (BM-CPCs) after cell therapy is less clear, we...Full Text Available
PCD (programmed cell death) in plants presents important morphological and biochemical differences compared with apoptosis in animal cells. This raises the question of whether PCD arose independently...Full Text Available
Although human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) is the etiologic agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), the role of viral gene expression in the progression to and maintenance of the...Full Text Available
Bovine leukemia virus (BLV), a retrovirus related to human T-cell leukemia virus types 1 and 2, can induce persistent nonneoplastic expansion of the CD5+ B-cell population, termed...Full Text Available
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) is expected as a new power generation source. The development of SOFC is being conducted by CRIEPI, and so far several reports of the reults were presented. This report examines materials of SOFC. For the purpose, cells were made using some of typical materials and manufacturing processes, and cell performance tests were carried out.
The PVSCAN is an instrument designed to characterize silicon solar cell materials and devices. It performs a host of measurements that yield spatial maps of dislocation density, grain distribution, reflectance, and photoresponses from near-junction and the bulk of a solar cell.
The penetration by moxifloxacin of human neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leukocytes [PMN]) and tissue-cultured epithelial cells (McCoy cells) was evaluated by a fluorometric assay. At...Full Text Available
There is ample evidence suggesting that superantigens may act as a triggering factor in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We investigated whether superantigen could activate T cells in...Full Text Available
SUMMARYThe cytolytic activity of natural killer (NK) cells is regulated by inhibitory receptors that detect the absence of self molecules on target cells. Structural studies of...Full Text Available
The proliferation of stem cell research, conflated with its ethical and moral implications, has led governments to attempt regulation of both the science and funding of stem cells. Due to a diversity...Full Text Available
Embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into virtually any cell in the body, and may have the potential to treat medical conditions such as diabetes and Parkinsons disease. On August 9, 2001, President Bush announced that for the first time feder...
Background: In North America and Europe, 80% of invasive skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma while 20% are squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). In contrast, African studies reveal a preponderance...Full Text Available
BackgroundSpindle cell carcinoma (SpCC) is a rare microscopic type of cancer of the mouth and oropharynx. Although SpCC is thought to arise from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), it...Full Text Available
This paper describes a radiation shield verification survey of a large hot cell at the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF). The following aspects of the shield test are discussed: description of the FFTF; description of the hot cell; the test procedures; radiation protection, and the test results.
... from Dr. Austin Smith of the Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinburgh) was modified from the CGR8 ... to thank Dr. Austin Smith, the Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinbu...
Human myeloid-lineage cells are refractory to HIV-1 infection. The Vpx proteins from HIV-2 and sooty mangabey SIV render these cells permissive to HIV-1 infection through proteasomal degradation of...Full Text Available
Most genetic changes that promote tumorigenesis involve dysregulation of G1 cell cycle progression. A key regulatory site in G1 is a growth factor–dependent restriction point (R) where cells...Full Text Available
Target of rapamycin (TOR) kinases control cell growth through two functionally distinct multiprotein complexes. TOR complex 1 (TORC1) controls temporal cell growth and is sensitive to rapamycin, whereas...Full Text Available
... based, disease treatment remains promising, the emphasis for stem cell research from the biomedical research community is clear, and ... diagnosis as a novel source of embryos for stem cell research. Repr...
The cells of the endosperm of castor bean seeds (Ricinus communis) undergo programmed cell death during germination, after their oil and protein reserves have been mobilized. Nuclear...Full Text Available
Placental and placental-like alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) levels in the culture media of 87 cell lines of neoplastic and 'normal' origin were measured by a conventional immunosorbent enzymatic assay...Full Text Available
The rate and capacity for chloroform (CF) and trichloroethylene (TCE) transformation by a mixed methanotrophic culture of resting cells (no exogenous energy source) and formate-fed cells were measured....Full Text Available
A new method is described for continuously measuring cell turgor pressure (P), hydraulic conductivity (Lp), and volumetric elastic modulus (ε) in higher plant cells, using a pressure...Full Text Available
PURPOSE: To determine the frequency of ophthalmic abnormalities in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome) and T-cell lymphoma involving the skin and...Full Text Available
Neutral endopeptidase 24.11 (NEP, CD10) is a cell-surface enzyme expressed by prostatic epithelial cells that cleaves and inactivates neuropeptides implicated in the growth of androgen-independent prostate...Full Text Available
The primary aim of this study was to develop a model system that uses epidermal cells (keratinocytes and accessory pigmented cells) cultured on a reconstituted basement membrane biomatrix for use in...Full Text Available
Amorphous silicon solar cells have been shown to have efficiencies which degrade as a result of long exposure to light. Annealing such cells in air at a temperature of about 200.degree. C. for at least 30 minutes restores their efficiency.
Special red cells were found on the adaxial surface of tertiary pulvini of Mimosa pudica and experiments performed to determine the origin and function of these cells. Using anatomical...Full Text Available
Red cell transfusions are associated with the development of acute lung injury in the critically ill. Recent evidence suggests that storage induced alterations of the red blood cell (RBC) collectively...Full Text Available
Adhesion of Spirogyra (tentatively, Spirogyra fluviatilis) cells to glass is described. The cells of an algal filament can adhere to a substrate only when they are...Full Text Available
Many patients who undergo hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) present with anemia and have received red blood cell transfusions before HCT. As a result, iron overload is frequent and appears...Full Text Available
Understanding the interactions between herpesviruses and their host cells and also the interactions between neoplastically transformed cells and the host immune system is fundamental to understanding...Full Text Available
Stem cells of the human prostate gland have not yet been identified utilizing a structural biomarker. We have discovered a new prostatic epithelial cell phenotype-expressing cytokeratin 6a (Ck6a+...Full Text Available
BackgroundStem cells divide to reproduce themselves and produce differentiated progeny. A fundamental problem in human biology has been the inability to measure how often stem cells...Full Text Available
... is known as "reproductive cloning." The Link to Stem Cell Research Stem cell research and research cloning are closely linked. Scientists in ... to arrive at a position on cloning and stem cell research. Many nations, including the UK, China, and South ...
Although most self-reactive T cells are eliminated in the thymus, mechanisms to inactivate or control T cells specific for extrathymic antigens are required and exist in the periphery. By investigating...Full Text Available
The glycolipid content of human non-seminomatous germ cell tumour cell lines correlates with their differentiation lineage. To analyse whether this reflects the situation in primary tumours, we studied...Full Text Available
One of the major decisions that germ cells make during their development is whether to differentiate into oocytes or sperm. In mice, the germ cells’ decision to develop as male or female depends...Full Text Available
DNA from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 17 different individuals infected with human T-cell lymphoma/leukemia virus type II (HTLV-II) was successfully amplified by the polymerase chain reaction...Full Text Available
It Peripheral blood progenitor enriched CD34+ cells (PBPC) are rather often used as stem cell background in cancer patients following high dose therapy. Keeping in mind that precursor dendritic cells (DCs) originate from haematopoietic progenitor cells, purified CD34+ cells might also serve as starting cells for ex-vivo production of DC. The aim of the present study is to develop a clinical grade procedure for ex-vivo production of DC derived from enriched CD34+ cells. Various concentrations of CD34+ cells were grown in gas-permeable Teflon bags with different serum-free and serum-containing media supplemented with GM-CSF, IL-4, TNF-a, SCF, Flt-3L and INF-a. Serum-free CellGroSCGM medium for 7 days followed by CellGroDC medium in 7 days gave equal results as serum-containing ...
Metastatic testicular germ cell tumours are cured in approximately 85% of patients using cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy. Patients who fail to respond have a poor prognosis, and there is a...Full Text Available
The first cell lineage specification in mouse embryo development is the formation of trophectoderm (TE) and inner cell mass (ICM) of the blastocyst. This article is to review and discuss the...Full Text Available
Zygotes of fucoid algae have long been studied as a paradigm for cell polarity. Polarity is established early in the first cell cycle and is then expressed as localized growth and invariant cell division....Full Text Available
Naturally occurring and contaminant ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic particles have been found within or near cells, and might allow pulsed magnetic fields to create transient cell membrane opening ("pores")....Full Text Available
BackgroundClara cell protein (CC16), the main secretory product of bronchiolar Clara cells, plays an important protective role in the respiratory tract against oxidative stress and...Full Text Available
... ions. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cell Culture Culture of NT2/D1 cells was carried out as described previously (18, 19). NT2 cells were plated at a density of 2. ... ...
BackgroundPerfluorocarbons (PFC) are used to improve gas exchange in diseased lungs. PFC have been shown to affect various cell types. Thus, effects on alveolar type II (ATII) cells...Full Text Available
1. Paired or single recordings of paraventricular and/or supraoptic oxytocin cells at the beginning of suckling in urethane-anaesthetized rats enabled us to study cell recruitment and compare the characteristics...Full Text Available
Reaggregated cells from 6- to 8-day-old mouse cerebella have been used to raise antibodies in rabbits. The interaction of these antibodies with cerebellar cell surface components was assessed by cytotoxicity...Full Text Available
Cells have an internal compass that enables them to move along shallow chemical gradients. As amoeboid cells migrate, signaling events such as Ras and PI3K activation occur spontaneously on pseudopodia....Full Text Available
The cell types involved in the cellular immune response were studied with the GVH in vitro as a test system. Comparison of the activities of cells of different lymphoid organs in the...Full Text Available
Stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative disorders require accurate delivery of the transplanted cells to the sites of damage. Numerous studies have established that fluid injections to the hippocampus...Full Text Available
We review the application of C. elegans as a model system to understand key aspects of stem cell biology. The only bona fide stem cells in C. elegans...Full Text Available
One of the main obstacles encountered when trying to culture human seminoma (SE) cells in vitro is massive degeneration of the tumour cells. We investigated whether dissociation of tumour tissue, to...Full Text Available
SummaryFor mammalian somatic cells the importance of microtubule cytoskeleton integrity in interphase cell cycle progression is uncertain. The loss, diminishment, or stabilization...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND--Interstitial lung diseases are characterised by the recruitment of mononuclear cells to disease sites where maturation occurs and activation products, including lysozyme (LZM), are released....Full Text Available
BackgroundA fundamental requirement for the exploitation of embryonic stem (ES) cells in regenerative medicine is the ability to reproducibly derive sufficient numbers of cells of...Full Text Available
Cultured mouse or human embryonic stem (ES) cells provide access to all of the genes required to elaborate the fundamental components and physiological systems of a mammalian cell. Chemical or insertional...Full Text Available
ObjectiveThe goal of the study was to investigate the genetic and molecular basis of a novel syndrome of marked hyperglucagonemia and pancreatic α cell hyperplasia...Full Text Available
Fate maps are generated by marking and tracking cells in vivo to determine how progenitors contribute to specific structures and cell types in developing and adult tissue. An advance in this...Full Text Available
It may result in acute radiation syndrome after body is exposed to ionizing radiation. The one of long-term effects of irradiation injury is leukemia. The bone marrow cells (BMC) transplantation including stem cells is the only effective therapy for acute radiation syndrome patients. Recently, with the advancement of stem cell research that the stem cells have multipotential and can convert each other, it may supply the new stem source for the irradiation injury patients. At the same time with the further research of radioprotective reagents, the hematopoietic stem cells proliferation after irradiation injury is promoted
In the last two years, rapid progress has been made in the energy conversion efficiencies of GaAs solar cells fabricated from molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) material. The efficiencies of cells fabricated from MBE material are now comparable with those fabricated from metal-organic chemical vapor deposition material, even for cells of dimension 2 cmx4 cm. This paper reviews the progress in MBE cell efficiencies. Also discussed is the role oval defects play in GaAs diode and solar cell performance. (orig.).
As concern regarding global environmental problems such as the greenhouse effect and acid rain has increased, so too has the demand for commercially viable solar cells as a clean energy source. Interest in amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cells has been particularly high, due to their low cost. Technological developments in the field of a-Si solar cells are discussed from the viewpoints of fabrication process, materials, and cell structures. Various applications and systems that take advantage of the a-Si solar cell are then introduced. Finally, future prospects are mentioned
Transdifferentiation of an individual's own cells into functional differentiated cells to replace an organ's lost function would be a personalized approach to therapeutics. In this two part series, we will describe the progress toward establishing functional transdifferentiated adrenal cortical cells. In this article (Part 2), we describe the disorders of the adrenal cortex, therefore establishing why there is the need for personalized cell-based therapy for individuals with these disorders. We then present our pilot studies of cell transdifferentiation toward an adrenal cortical fate using genes described in the first article of this pair (Part 1).
In this contract, Laser-assisted processing techniques for producing high-quality solar cell metallization patterns are being investigated, developed, and characterized. The tasks comprising these investigations are outlined. Four new batches of solar cells were processed, in addition to several test runs on wafers, using the laser decomposition of spun-on silver neodecanoate to metallize cells. Decomposition of silver neodecanoate was carried out at different laser powers on different cells on a given wafer to determine whether this would have any effect on cell performance. A one watt laser power gave an electroplated linewidth of 50 microns , while at 8 watts the line width was 90 microns.
We report on multijunction GaInP/GaAs photovoltaic cells with total-area efficiencies of 29.5% at one-sun concentration and air mass (AM) 1.5 global and 25.7% one-sun, AM0. These values represent the highest efficiencies achieved by any solar cell under these illumination conditions. Three key areas in this technology are identified and discussed: the grid design, front surface passivation of the top cell, and bottom surface passivation of both cells. Aspects of cell design related to its operation under different solar spectra and under concentration are also discussed.
The theory for the general case of solar cells operating inside integrating cavity receivers is established. This is applied to the particular case of different configurations of silicon and GaAs cells. The results of the analysis show that a composite system of silicon and GaAs cells manufactured using relatively simple technology could reach an efficiency of 34%. The optimal configuration is that in which the GaAs cells are placed in the directly illuminated area of the receiver and the silicon cells are placed in the indirectly illuminated area of the receiver. (orig.).
One mitigation goal of the Hungry Horse Dam fisheries mitigation program, funded by the Bonneville Power Administration, is to replace lost production of 100,000 adult kokanee in Flathead Lake. The mitigation program calls for a five-year test to determine if kokanee can be reestablished in Flathead Lake. The test consists. of annual stocking of one million hatchery-raised yearling kokanee. There are three benchmarks for judging the success of the kokanee reintroduction effort: (1) Post-stocking survival of 30 percent of planted kokanee one year after stocking; (2) Yearling to adult survival of 10 percent (100,000 adult salmon); (3) Annual kokanee harvest of 50,000 or more fish per year by 1998, with an average length of 11 inches or longer for harvested fish, and fishing pressure of 100,000 angler hours or more. Kokanee were the primary sport fish species in the Flathead Lake fishery in the early 1900s, and up until the late 1980s when the ...
pletely new PW fuel cell model had to be developed for CINDA. Several ...... following linear equation, which is used in the SINDA fuel cell model: ...
ObjectiveTo achieve osteochondral regeneration utilizing transplantation of cartilage-lineage cells and adequate scaffolds, it is essential to characterize the behavior of transplanted...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe evolution of eukaryotic cells is widely agreed to have proceeded through a series of endosymbiotic events between larger cells and proteobacteria or cyanobacteria,...Full Text Available
The molecular structure, chemical properties, and biological function of the xyloglucan polysaccharide isolated from cell walls of suspension-cultured sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)...Full Text Available
... Program: Quallion Matrix Design (small cells) - Investigate the feasibly of a hybrid battery matrix composed of small D-sized cells for use in HEVs ...
The most advanced frontier of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is represented by the use of an HLA-partially matched relative as donor. In this type of transplantation, donor-derived natural killer (NK) cells, which are alloreactive towardtoward recipient cells, significantly contribute to the eradication of leukemia blasts. Alloreactive NK cells may also kill host dendritic cells and T lymphocytes, thus preventing graft-versus-host disease and graft rejection, respectively. Sophisticated strategies of adoptive infusion of T-cell lines/clones specific for the most life-threatening pathogens (namely cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, Aspergillus and Adenovirus) have been envisaged, and successfully tested in a few pilot trials, to protect the recipient in the...
Gene expression is a fundamentally stochastic process, with randomness in transcription and translation leading to significant cell-to-cell variations in mRNA and protein levels. This variation...Full Text Available
Conditions were found in which Chlamydomonas reinhardi exhibits a circadian alteration of its cell surface, measured as ability to stick to glass. Under these same conditions the cells...Full Text Available
To examine the possibility that mast cells have a central role in the pathogenesis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, 20 patients with this disease were studied with the aim of seeking evidence for mast...Full Text Available
Regulatory T cells are proposed to play a central role in the maintenance of immunological tolerance in the periphery, and studies in many animal models demonstrate their capacity to inhibit inflammatory...Full Text Available
There is a requirement for a noninvasive technique to monitor stem cell differentiation. Several candidates based on optical spectroscopy are discussed in this review: Fourier transform infrared (FTIR)...Full Text Available
Diverse cell polarity networks require positive feedback for locally amplifying distributions of signalling molecules at the plasma membrane1. Additional...Full Text Available
Morphological, Electrophysiological and Behavioral Investigations of the Nervous Tissue Developed from the Embryonic Matrix Zone Cells of the Dorsolateral Walls of Lateral Ventricles, Implanted into the Lesioned Regions of the Adult Rat's Brain
Jun 10, 2011 ... The PSSC is a picosatellite designed to test the space environment by providing a testbed to gather data on new solar cell technologies.
The present volume on modeling of batteries and fuel cells discusses the significance of the effectiveness factor for flooded porous electrodes, active pore distribution spectroscopy for characterizing porous battery electrodes, the agglomerate model for porous electrodes, and dynamic-performance measurements of battery cells for electric vehicles and other applications. Attention is given to mathematical modeling of a primary zinc/air battery, mathematical modeling of Grace Li-TiS2 cells, modeling of electrocrystallization processes in battery systems, and rotating disk electrode studies in molten Li/K carbonate eutectic. Topics addressed include the variability of nickel oxide cathode dissolution in molten carbonate fuel cells, water transport properties of fuel cell ionomers, modeling water content effects in polymer electrolyte fuel cells, and computer ...
Many mutations associated with retinal degeneration lead to the production of misfolded proteins by cells of the retina. Emerging evidence suggests that these abnormal proteins cause cell death...Full Text Available
Methods for improving the sensitivity of scintillation cells for radon concentration measurements were studied with emphasis on improving light collection efficiency. This allows the length and hence the volume of the cell to be increased. Variables studied were choice of scintillator material, its method of application and thickness, length of cell, cell material, type and configuration of reflectors, choice of photomultipliers, and factors affecting background. Response from various areas of the cell surface was studied with an alpha source and with radon filling. Coating the window with phosphor was found to be counter-productive. The optimum results obtained were with the inside of the cell (other than the window) covered with a thick layer of ZnS(Ag), or with a thick layer of reflective material coated with a thin layer of phosphor. With it, a 10 cm ...
Methods for improving the sensitivity of scintillation cells for radon concentration measurements were studied with emphasis on improving light collection efficiency. This allows the length and hence the volume of the cell to be increased. Variables studied were choice of scintillator material, its method of application and thickness, length of cell, cell material, type and configuration of reflectors, choice of photomultipliers, and factors affecting background. Response from various areas of the cell surface was studied with an alphy source and with radon filling. Coating the window with phosphor was found to be counter-productive. The optimum results obtained were with the inside of the cell (other than the window) covered with a thick layer of ZnS(Ag), or with a thick layer of reflective material coated with a thin layer of phosphor. With it, a 10 cm ...
Proliferating cells have been immunophenotypically characterized in lymph node and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples obtained from patients with active and inactive sarcoidosis with the cell-cycle-related...Full Text Available
Erythrocytes serve as reservoirs for cis- and trans-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs). Incubation of rat red blood cells (RBCs) with cis- and...Full Text Available
PASTICCINO (PAS) genes are required for coordinated cell division and differentiation during plant development. In loss-of-function pas mutants,...Full Text Available
PurposeTo analyze the expression of apoptosis and cell proliferation molecules in pterygium tissues of Chinese patients.MethodsThirty-three pterygia...Full Text Available
Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are energy sources that have the ... for H2 /02 PEM fuel cells because their catalysts have properties suitable for 0 ...
Substantially genetically stable continuous human cell lines derived from normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) and processes for making and using the same. In a preferred embodiment, the cell lines are derived by treating normal human mammary epithelial tissue with a chemical carcinogen such as benzo(a)pyrene. The novel cell lines serve as useful substrates for elucidating the potential effects of a number of toxins, carcinogens and mutagens as well as of the addition of exogenous genetic material. The autogenic parent cells from which the cell lines are derived serve as convenient control samples for testing. The cell lines are not neoplastically transformed, although they have acquired several properties which distinguish them from their normal progenitors. 2 tabs.
... with the loosening of Bush-era restrictions on stem cell research, a move that was widely hailed by the ... The first two explore the contentious debate over stem cell research. Using a series of intervie...
Cancer, by definition, is a proliferative disease. The fundamental scientific issue explored at the international symposium "Cell Proliferation and Chemical Carcinogenesis" was the impact of chemically...Full Text Available
Cells of the mononuclear phagocyte lineage have the capability to adhere to and fuse with each other and to differentiate into osteoclasts and giant cells. To investigate the macrophage adhesion/fusion...Full Text Available
May 31, 2011 ... A Theoretical Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Model for System Controls and Stability Design AUTHOR(S): Kopasakis, George; Brinson, Thomas; Credle, ...
The existence of stem cells committed to the T lymphoid lineage was deduced from studying how rat T and B stem cells differ in their expression of membrane W3/13 antigen and in their susceptibility in vivo to gamma irradiation. Stem cell activity of rat bone marrow and fetal liver was measured in long-term radiation chimeras using B and T cell alloantigenic surface markers to identify the progeny of donor cells. Monoclonal mouse anti-rat thymocyte antibody W3/13 labeled approximately 40% of fetal liver cells and 60-70% of young rat bone marrow cells (40% brightly, 25% dimly). Bright, dim, and negative cells were separated on a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. All B and T lymphoid stem cells in fetal liver were W3/13 bright, as were B lymphoid stem cells in ...
We present a sample preparation method for measuring magnesium in individual whole lymphocytes by electron probe X-ray microanalysis. We use Burkitt's lymphoma cells in culture as the test sample and compare X-ray microanalysis of individual cells with atomic absorption analysis of pooled cell populations. We determine the magnesium peak-to-local continuum X-ray intensity ratio by electron probe X-ray microanalysis and calculate a mean cell magnesium concentration of 39 +/- 19 mmol/kg dry weight from analysis of 100 cells. We determine a mean cell magnesium concentration of 34 +/- 4 mmol/kg dry weight by atomic absorption analysis of pooled cells in three cell cultures. The mean cell magnesium concentrations determined by the two methods are not significantly different. We find a 10% coefficient of ...
Physiological functions are carried out by differentiated cells, with finite lifespans, which age and need to be replaced. In young individuals, tissue functions are sustained at optimal levels because cellular dysfunction and cell loss are balanced by the emergence of newly differentiated cells as stem cells and their partially differentiated descendants replicate. However, with the passage of time the mitotic rates of these cells diminish. Eventually, replications occur too infrequently to offset the loss. It is at this point that the tissue begins to show structural changes and declining function which, as they become pervasive, are identified as ageing. In this paper the theory is set forth that: (1) Diminishing mitotic activity in older tissues results from limited stem cell replicative capacity. (2) All stem cells, regardless of ...
The cell is modeled as an ellipsoid with shell and the surface stress distribution calculated by means of the Maxwell Stress Tensor. The cell membrane is treated as incompressible material having both bending and shear energies of deformation. Employing the principle of virtual work, cell volume (and hence shape) is computed as a function of the external field strength and orientation with respect to the field. The following results were obtained: (1) The surface stresses that develop or the cell membrane are distributed having both normal and tangential components that act together to produce a rounding of the cell. (2) If the tangential component of the stress is ignored, then higher field strengths are needed to produce similar deformation (shape change) of cells. (3) The threshold value of the applied field, i.e, the field strength at which the volume ...
The field of stem cell research was revolutionized with the advent of induced pluripotent stem cells. By reprogramming somatic cells to pluripotent stem cells, most ethical concerns associated with the use of embryonic stem cells are overcome, such that many hopes from the stem cell field now seem a step closer to reality. Several methods and cell sources have been described to create induced pluripotent stem cells and we discuss their characteristics in terms of feasibility and efficiency. From these cells, cardiac progenitors and cardiomyocytes can be derived by several protocols and most recent advances as well as remaining limitations are being discussed. However in the short time period this technology has been around, evidence emerges that induced pluripotent stem cells may ...
Radiation therapy has had a significant and an expanded role in the management of cancer of the pancreas during the last decade. In particular, for locally advanced disease, radiation therapy has improved the median survival of patients to 1 year. Intraoperative electron beam therapy has been applied to unresectable and resectable pancreatic cancer in an attempt to enhance local control of disease and to improve patient survival. This paper presents a survey of the role of radiation therapy in treatment of cancer of the pancreas, provides information on the radiobiological aspects of this treatment modality and details the physical and dosimetric characteristics of intraoperative radiation therapy with electrons. Presented are the design specifics of an applicator system, central axis beam data, applicator parameters, dose distribution data, shielding, treatment planning and means of verification. Emphasis is placed on the collaboration and ...
Radiation therapy has had a significant and an expanded role in the management of cancer of the pancreas during the last decade. In particular, for locally advanced disease, radiation therapy has improved the median survival of patients to 1 year. Intraoperative electron beam therapy has been applied to unresectable and resectable pancreatic cancer in an attempt to enhance local control of disease and to improve patient survival. This paper presents a survey of the role of radiation therapy in treatment of cancer of the pancreas, provides information on the radiobiological aspects of this treatment modality and details the physical and dosimetric characteristics of intraoperative radiation therapy with electrons. Presented are the design specifics of an applicator system, central axis beam data, applicator parameters, dose distribution data, shielding, treatment planning and means of verification. Emphasis is placed on the collaboration and ...
Purpose: To report outcomes of a single institution study of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for unresectable cholangiocarcinoma. The dose-volume dependency of the observed gastrointestinal toxicity is explored. Methods and materials: Twenty-seven patients with unresectable cholangiocarcinoma (n = 26 Klatskin tumours and one intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC)) were treated by linac-based SBRT. The dose schedule was 45 Gy in three fractions prescribed to the isocenter. Results: The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 6.7 and 10.6 months, respectively. With a median follow-up of 5.4 years, 6 patients had severe duodenal/pyloric ulceration and 3 patients developed duodenal stenosis. Duodenal radiation exposure was higher in patients developing moderate to high-grade gastrointestinal toxicity with the difference in mean maximum dose to 1 cm"3 of duodenum reaching statistical significance. A statistically significant ...
To determine if barbiturates would protect brain at high doses of radiation, survival rates in rats that received whole-brain x-irradiation during pentobarbital- or lidocaine-induced anesthesia were compared with those of control animals that received no medication and of animals anesthetized with ketamine. The animals were shielded so that respiratory and digestive tissues would not be damaged by the radiation. Survival rates in rats that received whole-brain irradiation as a single 7500-rad dose under pentobarbital- or lidocaine-induced anesthesia was increased from between from 0% and 20% to between 45% and 69% over the 40 days of observation compared with the other two groups (p less than 0.007). Ketamine anesthesia provided no protection. There were no notable differential effects upon non-neural tissues, suggesting that pentobarbital afforded protection through modulation of ambient neural activity during radiation exposure. Neural ...
The sycamore lace bug, Corythucha ciliata is a new, invasive pest of Platanus trees in China. Although C. ciliata is often subjected to acute low temperatures in early winter and spring in northern and eastern China, the cold tolerance of C. ciliata has not been well studied. The objectives of this study were to determine whether adults of C. ciliata are capable of rapid cold hardening (RCH), and to compare the benefits of RCH vs. cold acclimation (ACC) in the laboratory. When the adult females incubated at 26^oC were transferred directly to the discriminating temperature (-12^oC) for 2h, survival was only 22%. However, exposure to 0^oC for 4h before transfer to -12^oC for 2h induced RCH, i.e., increased survival to 68%. RCH could also be induced by gradual cooling of the insects at rates ...
To define the prognostic factors after surgical resection and evaluate the effectiveness of Post Operative Radiotherapy (PORT) in cases with cholangiocarcinoma, 44 cases with proximal cholangiocarcinoma were examined. The mean observation period was 20.6 months, and the survival rates 1, 3 and 5 years after the resection were 79.9%, 59.8% and 39.3%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that the presence of lymph node metastasis and absence of PORT were significant poor prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis revealed that the absence of PORT was a significant poor prognostic factor. The survival rates for 1 and 3 years after the resection were 80.0% and 40.0% in the curable A/B and PORT (-) group, and 100% and 53.3% in curable C and PORT (+) group. There were no local reccurences in the pathologically classified hm2 and em2 patients who underwent PORT. Even when the surgical margin is positive for the carcinoma pathologically, it is ...
To compare clinical effectiveness of Viabil-covered stents versus uncovered metallic Wallstents, for palliation of malignant jaundice due to extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, 60 patients were enrolled in a prospective and randomized study. In half of the patients a bare Wallstent was used, and in the other half a Viabil biliary stent. Patients were followed up until death. Primary patency, survival, complication rates, and mean cost were calculated in both groups. Stent dysfunction occurred in 9 (30%) patients in the bare stent group after a mean period of 133.1 days and in 4 (13.3%) patients in the covered stent group after a mean of 179.5 days. The incidence of stent dysfunction was significantly lower in the covered stent group (P = 0.046). Tumor ingrowth occurred exclusively in the bare stent group (P = 0.007). Median survival was 180.5 days for the Wallstent and 243.5 days for the Viabil group (P = 0.039). Complications and mean cost were ...
Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) is investigating the use of a rock armoring blanket (riprap) to mitigate wind and water erosion of an earthen radon suppression cover applied to uranium mill tailings. Because the radon suppression cover and the tailings must remain intact for up to 1000 years or longer, the riprap must withstand natural weathering forces. This report is a review of information on rock weathering and riprap durability. Chemical and physical weathering processes, rock characteristics related to durability, climatic conditions affecting the degree and rate of weathering, and testing procedures used to measure weathering susceptibilities have been reviewed. Sampling and testing techniques, as well as analyses of physical and chemical weathering susceptibilities, are necessary to evaluate rock durability. Many potential riprap materials may not be able to survive 1000 years of weathering. Available techniques for durability testing cannot adequately ...
This study evaluates the correlation between transplanted Asiatic clam and indigenous community responses to acid mine drainage and nutrient loading in first-to-third-order streams, by comparing the toxicological endpoints of clam survival and growth with benthic macro-invertebrate community indices as community responses to both acid mine drainage and nutrient loading. Clam survival was found to be positively correlated with water column pH and negatively correlated with conductivity and metal concentrations. There was also a positive correlation with the relative abundance of the macro-invertebrate Ephemeroptera, the most sensitive taxonomic group, to acid mine drainage in this watershed. No correlation was found between clam growth and acid mine drainage inputs, but there was evidence of positive correlation with nitrate concentrations and the relative abundance of collector-filterer functional feeding groups. These results suggest that clam ...
High concentrations of self-interstitials are trapped by dopant atoms during ion implantation into Si. For group V dopants, these complexes are sufficiently stable to survive solid-phase-epitaxial (SPE) growth but break up on subsequent thermal processing and cause a transient-enhanced diffusion. Dopant diffusion coefficients are enhanced by up to five orders of magnitude over tracer values and are characterized by an activation energy of approximately one half of the tracer values. In the case of group III dopants, any complexes formed during implantation do not survive SPE growth but a second source of self-interstitials becomes significant and leads to similar transient effects. This is the damaged layer underlying the original amorphous/crystalline interface. These observations provide direct evidence for long-range self-interstitial migration in Si, and we believe these are the first observations of the interstitialcy diffusion mechanism ...
High concentrations of self-interstitials are trapped by dopant atoms during ion implantation into Si. For group V dopants, these complexes are sufficiently stable to survive solid-phase-epitaxial (SPE) growth but break up on subsequent thermal processing and cause a transient-enhanced diffusion. Dopant diffusion coefficients are enhanced by up to five orders of magnitude over tracer values and are characterized by an activation energy of approximately one half of the tracer values. In the case of group III dopants, any complexes formed during implantation do not survive SPE growth but a second source of self-interstitials becomes significant and leads to similar transient effects. This is the damaged layer underlying the original amorphous/crystalline interface. These observations provide direct evidence for long-range self-interstitial migration in Si, and we believe these are the first observations of the interstitialcy diffusion mechanism ...
Twenty-seven histologically confirmed cases of localised Ewing's sarcoma were treated by two different regimes. Radiotherapy alone was used in 13 cases and a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in 14. Single agent chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide) was given sequentially in nine patients and cyclophosphamide and actinomycin-D in five. There is a significant difference in the response to these different regimes. Only 69.2% of patients treated by radiotherapy alone were disease-free, for a median period of 10.4 months and metastases were noticed in 53.8% of cases. The disease-free survival in patients treated by combination therapy (radiotherapy and chemotherapy) was 18.4 months and metastases were seen in only 42.9%. However, no metastases were seen in patients who received cyclophosphamide and actinomycin-D, during a period of 14 months and only one patient showed residual disease. It is concluded that the addition of cyclophosphamide alone is not adequate in ...
The radiographic appearance of Ewing's sarcoma was studied retrospectively in 22 patients who survived 5 years or longer after diagnosis and treatment. Expected changes from treatment, including regression of the extraosseous soft tissue mass, periostitis, and reconstitution of the cortex, occurred in all patients. Local recurrence occurred in one patient 10 years after complete remission whereas secondary osteosarcoma occurred more than 5 years after complete remission in two other cases. Both recurrent and secondary tumors presented as new lytic foci at the site of the original primary lesion. Lytic changes from radiation (radiation osteitis) may develop more than 2 years after treatment and in this sample; such findings were widely distributed in the radiation port. The authors conclude that bone remodeling and postradiation changes occur slowly over 2 years after treatment, and that any localized lysis at the primary site is suspicious for recurrence or ...
From 1964 to 1973 at the Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology, Havana City, 18 clinical histories were studied, all of them from patients with Erwing's sarcoma, histologically diagnosticated by biopsy. Age, sex, race, traumatism background, hemogram disturbances, radiographic signs, primary tumor localization, and early treatment, were exposed. Early treatment in 14(83%) patients as radiotherapy. Local recurrence or metastasis was presented in 10(55,5%) patients during the two first years following attack treatment. Five (35,7%) patients was the survival rate within five years starting early treatemt. After five years, three (21,4%) patients were alive: for 18 and 14 year, and 64 month period; two patients died at 62 and 64 months. It is concluded that this survival may be increased by initial behaviour enclosed at the technologic therapeutic patterns of the the Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology, of Havana City. (author).
A new virus species designated as Grapevine leafroll associated virus-Pr (GLRaV-Pr), which is classified in a distinct phylogenetic group of the genus Ampelovirus (Closteroviridae), was recently characterized from Greek grapevine cultivars. Elimination studies of GLRaV-Pr were carried out in two grapevine cultivars, 'Mantilaria' and 'Prevezaniko', co-infected with Grapevine rupestris stem pitting associated virus (GRSPaV, Flexiviridae). Both viruses were detected by nested RT-PCR assays. Virus elimination was achieved by combining in vitro thermotherapy with meristem ( 0.2mm) or shoot tip culture ( 0.5cm). The survival and regeneration rate of meristems was very low. On the other hand, high survival rates were observed in the cultured shoot tips accompanied with high elimination rates for ...
In order to study the neurobiological basis of seasonal changes in hippocampal structure and function, the rate of cell proliferation was examined in male and female wild meadow voles captured during different seasons. We found that the number of [3H]thymidine-labeled cells varied across the seasons and across sex in the meadow vole. Non-breeding female meadow voles had a higher rate of cell proliferation and cell death than males captured during either season or breeding females. These seasonal changes in the female meadow vole were associated with both fluctuating levels of adrenal steroids and gonadal steroids. Estradiol level was highly correlated with both the number of [3H]thymidine-labeled cells and the number of pyknotic cells in female meadow voles, with high levels of estradiol being associated with low levels of cell proliferation ...
The authors describe an effect of suppression of invasion of the guinea pig eye conjunctiva and the HEp-2 epithelial cells by virulent Sh. flexneri bacilli, with a simultaneous administration of the same dose of avirulent shigella mutants, genetically connected with them. The data of morphological study and experiments with 3H-glucose labeled shigellae carried out on the cell species model indicated that the bacterial competition for the specific sites for absorption on the epithelial cells underlay the observed phenomenon. PMID:331774
Regulatory T (T reg) cells exert powerful down-modulatory effects on immune responses, but it is not known how they act in vivo. Using intravital two-photon laser scanning microscopy we determined that,...Full Text Available
Microfluidic systems and methods are disclosed which are adapted to transport and lyse cellular components of a test sample for analysis. The disclosed microfluidic systems and methods, which employ an electric field to rupture the cell membrane, cause unusually rapid lysis, thereby minimizing continued cellular activity and resulting in greater accuracy of analysis of cell processes.
BackgroundAberrant CD40 ligand (CD154) expression occurs on both T cells and B cells in human lupus patients, which is suggested to enhance B cell CD40 signaling and play a role...Full Text Available