Severity of oral mucositis correlates with the response of oral cancer to preoperative radiochemotherapy

Oral mucositis is a dose-limiting toxic effect of radiotherapy and chemotherapy on oral cancer. The purpose of the present study is to assess the relationship between tumor response and oral mucositis in preoperative radiochemotherapy for oral cancer retrospectively. Fifty-four cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma were treated with concurrent radiochemotherapy prior to surgery. When oral mucositis was evaluated with the WHO scale, severe oral mucositis (Grades 3 and 4) developed in 22 cases (41%). A more than 50% reduction in tumor size was clinically observed in 38 cases (70%). From histopathological analysis of the surgical specimens all tumor cells observed appeared to be non-viable in 16 cases (29%). The cases with Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3 and Grade 4 oral mucositis included 33%, 62%, 85% and 89% of clinical good-response cases and 0%, 24%, 31% and 55% of histopathological good-response cases, respectively. This retrospective study suggests that severe oral mucositis promises a good response of oral squamous cell carcinoma to radiochemotherapy.

Terrestrial nitrogen and noble gases in lunar soils

The nitrogen in lunar soils is correlated to the surface and therefore clearly implanted from outside. The straightforward interpretation is that the nitrogen is implanted by the solar wind, but this explanation has difficulties accounting for both the abundance of nitrogen and a variation of the order of 30 per cent in the 15N/14N ratio. Here we propose that most of the nitrogen and some of the other volatile elements in lunar soils may actually have come from the Earth's atmosphere rather than the solar wind. We infer that this hypothesis is quantitatively reasonable if the escape of atmospheric gases, and implantation into lunar soil grains, occurred at a time when the Earth had essentially no geomagnetic field. Thus, evidence preserved in lunar soils might be useful in constraining when the geomagnetic field first appeared. This hypothesis could be tested by examination of lunar farside soils, which should lack the terrestrial component.

Preparation and pharmaceutical evaluation for clinical application of high specific activity S-(-)[11C]CGP-12177, a radioligand for beta-adrenoreceptors

BACKGROUND

Although S-(-)[C]CGP-12177 is a useful positron emission tomography (PET) ligand for beta-adrenoreceptors, the difficulty in radiolabelling the compound has prevented its extensive clinical application. Recently, we have developed a simple synthesis method for S-(-)[C]CGP-12177. In the present study, we attempted to prepare S-(-)[C]CGP-12177 with a high specific activity for intravenous injection which is feasible for the clinical evaluation of beta-adrenoreceptors.

METHODS

The [C]methane produced during irradiation of a N2--H2 (95/5) mixture with an 18 MeV proton beam (20 microA, 30 min) was chlorinated using Cl2 to yield [C]carbon tetrachloride. S-(-)[C]CGP-12177 was synthesized by reacting the diamino precursor with [C]phosgene produced by oxidizing [C]carbon tetrachloride on a Fe--Fe2O3 column. The product was purified by using reversed phase, high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and the radioactive fraction containing S-(-)[C]CGP-12177 was collected and evaporated to dryness. S-(-)[C]CGP-12177 dissolved in physiological saline was sterilized through a 0.22 microm membrane filter. The radiochemical purity and the mass of the compound were determined with RP-HPLC. The residual organic solvents were determined with GC. Tests for sterility and the presence of bacterial endotoxins were also performed.

RESULTS

S-(-)[C]CGP-12177 for intravenous injection was prepared in 25 min after the end of bombardment with a yield of 1.5+/-0.2 GBq. Specific activity was found to be 385.4+/-133.0 GBq/ micromol at the end of synthesis (EOS) (n=3). Radiochemical purity was found to be more than 99%. Toluene was not detected in the solution. The ethanol concentration was determined to be 60.3+/-52.5 ppm. Tests for sterility and bacterial endotoxins showed negative results.

CONCLUSION

We successfully prepared S-(-)[C]CGP-12177 formulated for intravenous injection with high purity and high specific activity, which is feasible for the clinical evaluation of beta-adrenoreceptors.

Phenotypic characterisation of flagellin and flagella of urease-positive thermophilic campylobacters

In this study, flagellin is purified biochemically from eight urease-positive thermophilic camplylobacters (UPTC) isolated from river water, sea water and mussels, and purified also from two isolates of Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli and fractionated by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Results showed that no flagellin components were detected in the two Japanese UPTC isolates (CF89-12 and CF89-14) and the two UPTC NCTC strains (NCTC12893 and NCTC12894). Flagellin components, each consisting of a single peptide, with a heterogeneous molecular mass of approximately 52-63 kDa were demonstrated in the other four UPTC isolates (NCTC12892, NCTC12895, NCTC12896 and NI15F [from Northern Ireland]) and the two Japanese isolates of C. jejuni (JCM2013 and C. coli 27). The approximate molecular mass of flagellin from the flagellin-positive UPTC isolates was smaller than those of C. jejuni and C. coli. Flagella were not detected by electron microscopy in the four flagellin-negative UPTC isolates but they were detected in the four flagellin-positive UPTC isolates and the two isolates of C. jejuni and C. coli. Thus, significant phenotypic diversity for flagellin, which must be due to genotypic variations, was demonstrated among the UPTC isolates.

Characteristics of a newly developed dentomaxillofacial X-ray cone beam CT scanner (CB MercuRay): system configuration and physical properties

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this paper is to present the system configuration and physical properties of a new dentomaxillofacial X-ray cone beam CT system (CB MercuRay) being developed.

METHODS

The system consists of an image intensifier and a cone beam X-ray source. There are two different models of this system, each with a different size image intensifier, 9" or 12". Each system has three field of view (FOV) modes. The 12" system has facial (F), panoramic (P) and implant (I) FOV modes. The 9" system has P, I and dental (D) modes. Images produced by these systems consist of 512 x 512 x 512 isotropic voxels. Physical properties such as resolution, noise and distortion of the images were evaluated in this study. Modulation transfer function (MTF) was measured using Boone's method. Image noise was measured as the standard deviation of the CT value in water. Circularity of the axial images yielded by the two models was measured using an 8 mm diameter acrylic pipe phantom.

RESULTS

The resolving power at a MTF of 0.1 in the D mode was over 2.0 lp mm(-1), suggesting that this system yields images of high resolution. The standard deviation of the CT value in water was approximately 80, which is thought to be greater than that of conventional CT. The circularity of images of the pipe phantom was 99% of the ideal value.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that our newly developed cone beam CT system produces high resolution three-dimensional volumetric images that will be useful for the examination of dentomaxillofacial disorders.

Detection of Epstein-Barr virus in saliva by real-time PCR

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the salivary levels of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in patients with periodontitis using real-time PCR. EBV was detected in 16 out of 33 (48.5%) periodontitis patients and in 3 out of 20(15%) healthy subjects. The baseline mean values for bleeding on probing in EBV-positive patients were significantly higher than those in EBV-negative patients. A significant decrease in EBV levels was observed after initial periodontal treatment. Our findings indicate that levels of EBV in saliva may reflect the status of periodontal inflammation.

Impact of maintenance chemotherapy on disease-free survival in patients with stage Ic and II epithelial ovarian cancer

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION

To evaluate the impact on disease free survival (DFS) with maintenance chemotherapy following complete surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage Ic and II epithelial ovarian cancer by a retrospective study.

METHODS

One hundred and forty patients with stage Ic and stage II epithelial ovarian cancer were classified into three groups according to the modality of maintenance chemotherapy (no therapy, oral or intravenous administration of anti-cancer drugs). DFS was compared among the three groups, and independent predictive factors for relapse were analyzed.

RESULTS

There were no statistically significant differences in DFS among the three groups for either stage Ic or II cancers, stage Ic and stage II. Multivariate analysis revealed that independent predictive factors for relapse were stage II (p = 0.004) in all patients and less than three cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy in stage II patients (p = 0.015).

CONCLUSION

Maintenance chemotherapy had no impact on DFS in patients with stage Ic or II epithelial ovarian cancer.

Radiotherapy with concurrent docetaxel and carboplatin for head and neck cancer

BACKGROUND

This study was designed to evaluate the concomitant use of docetaxel and carboplatin for radiosensitization in head and neck cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One dose of docetaxel at 10 mg/m2 and five doses of carboplatin at AUC of 0.4 per week were administered to patients during the first two weeks of radiotherapy. Sixteen patients were treated with this regimen. Radiotherapy was given to a total dose of 64.8 to 82.0 Gy. Altered fractionation radiotherapy was performed in 12 patients with untreated advanced tumors.

RESULTS

The complete response (CR) rate was 81%, with a partial response (PR) rate of 19%. Toxicities included grade 3 mucositis in 69% of patients and grade 2 dermatitis in 56% of patients.

CONCLUSION

This schedule of docetaxel and carboplatin combined with radiotherapy may become a useful approach for the management of head and neck cancer with proper management of mucositis.

Roles of primate spinal interneurons in preparation and execution of voluntary hand movement

To study the contribution of primate cervical interneurons (INs) to preparation and execution of normal voluntary hand movement we investigated their activity and correlational linkages to muscles in monkeys performing tracking tasks. During ramp-and-hold flexion-extension torques about the wrist most task-related spinal INs exhibited some activity during both flexion and extension, in unexpected contrast to the strictly unidirectional activity of corticomotoneuronal (CM) cells and motoneurons. Most INs increased their activity more in one of these two directions; response patterns in their preferred direction were typically tonic or phasic-tonic. Spike-triggered averages of EMG detected significant features in muscle activity for many task-related INs. Premotor INs (PreM-INs) were identified by post-spike facilitation or suppression with appropriate onset latencies after the trigger spike. Muscle fields of PreM-INs were smaller than those of supraspinal PreM cells in cortex and red nucleus, and rarely involved reciprocal effects on antagonist muscles. To investigate the relation of spinal INs to a repertoire of different muscle synergies, activity of INs was recorded from a macaque performing a multidirectional wrist task. The monkey generated isometric torques in flexion/extension, radial/ulnar deviation, pronation/supination, and executed a power grip that co-contracted wrist flexor and extensor muscles. Many INs showing task-modulated activity had preferred directions in this multidirectional space, typically with broadly tuned activation. The role of spinal INs in preparation for voluntary movement was revealed in monkeys performing instructed delay tasks. During the delay between a transient visual cue and a go signal a third of the tested INs showed significant delay modulation (SDM) of firing rate relative to the pre-cue rate. The SDM responses often differed from the INs' responses during the subsequent active torque period. In a monkey instructed by either visual or proprioceptive cues the delay period activity for many INs was similar in visual and perturbation trials, although other INs exhibited different SDM for visually and proprioceptively cued trials. These results suggest that spinal INs are involved, with cortex, in the earliest stages of movement preparation. The sensory input to INs could be identified in transient responses to the torque pulse, which showed two predominant patterns, consistent with inputs from cutaneous or proprioceptive receptors. We also investigated the task-dependent modulation of neural responses to peripheral input in a monkey performing wrist flexion/extension movements in a visually cued instructed delay task. Monosynaptic responses evoked by electrical stimulation of the superficial radial nerve through a cuff electrode were suppressed or abolished during the dynamic movement phase. Since task-related activity of the INs increased at the same time, the suppression was mediated by presynaptic rather than postsynaptic inhibition. These observations indicate that under normal behavioral conditions many spinal INs have response properties comparable to those previously documented for cortical neurons in behaving animals.

Huge cystic lymphangioma of the pancreas: report of a case

We report herein the case of a 33-year-old woman who presented with palpable abdominal swelling found to be caused by a huge lymphangioma of the pancreas. An abdominal computed tomographic (CT) scan showed a large multilocular cystic mass with water-dense contents, which was derived from the pancreatic head. A pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) was performed because the tumor had invaded the duodenum. The resected tumor, which was 23 x 12 x 23 cm in size with 21 of serous fluid, was pathologically diagnosed as a cystic lymphangioma. The endothelial cells lining the internal surface of the cystic spaces were immunohistochemically positive for factor VIII-R antigen and CD31. Our review of the literature revealed 45 reports of lymphangioma of the pancreas, including this one, but to the best of our knowledge this is only the fifth case that required a PD. Nevertheless, we recommend that a complete resection be performed to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Accuracy of Digora system in detecting artificial peri-implant bone defects

This study was done to compare the diagnostic accuracy in detecting simulated intrabony defects around fixtures using Digora (DIG; Sordex Orion Corporation, Helsinki, Finland) compared with Ektaspeed Plus film (PLS; Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, NY). Three titanium implant fixtures were placed in molar areas of three cadavers. Bone defects were created in the interproximal alveolar crest. Exposure time was adjusted to a PLS film and reduced to 1/5 only for DIG (1/5 DIG). The results of four observers were assessed. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and under the receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) area were evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed by using Friedman test and one-way ANOVA test. Mean sensitivity/specificity were 0.60/0.85 (DIG), 0.54/0.81 (1/5 DIG), and 0.64/0.58 (PLS). There were no statistically significant differences in the diagnostic accuracies. Digora had an equivalent performance to radiographic film in detecting intrabony defects adjacent to the implants, notwithstanding the amount of 1/5 of the exposure time.

High-rate methane fermentation of lipid-rich food wastes by a high-solids co-digestion process

This paper presents an experimental study on anaerobic degradation of lipids-rich food wastes by using the high solids co-digestion process. The experiments were conducted under mesophilic (35 degrees C) and thermophilic (55 degrees C) condition, respectively, by using a semi-continuous flow completely mixed reactor. The influent TS level was controlled at around 10%, while the hydraulic retention time (HRT) was changed from 15 days to 7.5 days. The lipids (fats or oil and grease) content in the influent TS was changed from 8% to 40% by adding salad oil (vegetable) and lard (animal) to the food wastes. The result of this study showed that the food wastes containing high lipids content was effectively degraded by the high solids co-digestion process and over 85% of lipid was degraded to biogas with 60-65% of methane. In addition, thermophilic methane fermentation was more effective for reducing lipids and had more higher loading capacity compared with mesophilic condition.

Immunocytochemical demonstration of the gap junction proteins connexin 43 and connexin 45 in the musculature of the rat small intestine

The immunohistochemical localization of connexin (Cx) 43 and Cx 45 in the musculature of the rat small intestine was studied at the ultrastructural level, with special reference to the interstitial cells of Cajal in the deep muscular plexus region (ICC-DMP). Cx 43 was localized at gap junctions formed between every group of cells, i.e., smooth muscle cell~smooth muscle cell, smooth muscle cell--ICC-DMP and ICC-DMP--ICC-DMP. In contrast, Cx 45 immunoreactivity was only detected at gap junctions between ICC-DMP--ICC-DMP. Since different types of Cx molecules have different properties for electrical and chemical coupling of cells, it is suggested that the homotypic network of ICC-DMP connected with Cx 45 gap junctions may function as an independent compartment segregated from the whole cellular network including the smooth muscle cells connected with Cx 43 gap junctions. It is further speculated that the ICC-DMP of the rat small intestine communicate with each other and with smooth muscle cells via the passage of messenger molecules through Cx 43, but they may use an additional mechanism, as yet unknown, for communications restricted to other ICC-DMP.