Neutron interferometry using a single modulated phase grating

Neutron grating interferometry provides information on phase and small-angle scatter in addition to attenuation. Previously, phase grating moiré interferometers (PGMI) with two or three phase gratings have been developed. These phase-grating systems use the moiré far-field technique to avoid the need for high-aspect absorption gratings used in Talbot-Lau interferometers (TLI) that reduce the neutron flux reaching the detector. We first demonstrate, through theory and simulations, a novel phase grating interferometer system for cold neutrons that requires a single modulated phase grating (MPG) for phase-contrast imaging, as opposed to the two or three phase gratings in previously employed PGMI systems. The theory shows the dual modulation of MPG with a large period and a smaller carrier pitch P, resulting in large fringes at the detector. The theory was compared to the full Sommerfeld-Rayleigh diffraction integral simulator. Then, we proceeded to compare the MPG system to experiments in the literature that use a two-phase-grating-based PGMI with best-case visibility of around 39%. The simulations of the MPG system show improved visibility in comparison to that of the two-phase-grating-based PGMI. An MPG with a modulation period of 300 µm, the pitch of 2 µm, and grating heights with a phase modulation of (π,0, illuminated by a monochromatic beam produces visibility of 94.2% with a comparable source-to-detector distance (SDD) as the two-phase-grating-based PGMI. Phase sensitivity, another important performance metric of the grating interferometer, was compared to values available in the literature, viz. the conventional TLI with the phase sensitivity of 4.5 × 103 for an SDD of 3.5 m and a beam wavelength of 0.44 nm. For a range of modulation periods, the MPG system provides comparable or greater theoretical maximum phase sensitivity of 4.1 × 103 to 10.0 × 103 for SDDs of up to 3.5 m. This proposed MPG system appears capable of providing high-performance PGMI that obviates the need for the alignment of two phase gratings.

Prevalence of Spontaneous Asymptomatic Facial Nerve Canal Meningoceles: A Retrospective Review

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The prevalence of patent facial nerve canals and meningoceles along the facial nerve course is unknown. This study aimed to assess the frequency of such findings in asymptomatic patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective review was completed of patients with high-resolution MR imaging of the temporal bone whose clinical presentations were unrelated to facial nerve pathology. Facial nerve canals were assessed for the presence of fluid along each segment and meningoceles within either the labyrinthine segment (fluid-filled distention, ≥1.0-mm diameter) or geniculate ganglion fossa (fluid-filled distention, ≥2.0-mm diameter). If a meningocele was noted, images were assessed for signs of CSF leak.

RESULTS

Of 204 patients, 36 (17.6%) had fluid in the labyrinthine segment of the facial nerve canal and 40 (19.6%) had fluid in the geniculate ganglion fossa. Five (2.5%) had meningoceles of the geniculate ganglion fossa; no meningoceles of the labyrinthine segment of the canal were observed. No significant difference was observed in the ages of patients with fluid in the labyrinthine segment of the canal or geniculate ganglion compared with those without fluid (P = .177 and P = .896, respectively). Of the patients with a meningocele, one had a partially empty sella and none had imaging evidence of CSF leak or intracranial hypotension.

CONCLUSIONS

Fluid within the labyrinthine and geniculate segments of the facial nerve canal is relatively common. Geniculate ganglion meningoceles are also observed, though less frequently. Such findings should be considered of little clinical importance without radiologic evidence of CSF otorrhea, meningitis, or facial nerve palsy.

The effect of temperature, composition and alcohols on the microstructures of catanionic mixtures of sodium dodecylsulfate and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide in water

The influence of mixing protocol, composition, temperature, ageing and added alcohols on the characteristics of the microstructures of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) + cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) mixtures has been investigated in this paper. In this catanionic mixture (1 weight% total surfactant content) temperature induced microstructural transition occurs, which is (i) a micelle-to-vesicle transition (MVT) if α_SDS (mole fraction of SDS) = 0.7, 0.8 or 0.9 and (ii) a vesicle-to-micelle transition (VMT) if α_SDS = 0.1, 0.2 or 0.3. In the mixture of α_SDS = 0.7, specific conductivity and dynamic light scattering measurements also support the occurrence of MVT. Transition electron microscopy and small angle neutron scattering measurements were also made to assess the characteristics of the microstructures. Alcohols added to the mixture of α_SDS = 0.7 reduced the size of the vesicle, while only monohydric alcohols suppressed the temperature induced transition indicating that the number and location of -OH groups of the alcohols have a dramatic modulating influence on the structural transition occurring in catanionic mixtures. The influence of the alcohols is explained in terms of changes produced in the dielectric constant and hydrophobicity of the medium.

First Measurement of Electron Neutrino Appearance in NOvA

We report results from the first search for ν_{μ}→ν_{e} transitions by the NOvA experiment. In an exposure equivalent to 2.74×10^{20} protons on target in the upgraded NuMI beam at Fermilab, we observe 6 events in the Far Detector, compared to a background expectation of 0.99±0.11(syst) events based on the Near Detector measurement. A secondary analysis observes 11 events with a background of 1.07±0.14(syst). The 3.3σ excess of events observed in the primary analysis disfavors 0.1π<δ_{CP}<0.5π in the inverted mass hierarchy at the 90% C.L.

Aggregation and surface behavior of aqueous solutions of cis-bis(1,3-diaminopropane)bis(dodecylamine)cobalt(iii) nitrate. A double-chained metallosurfactant

Metallosurfactants or amphiphilic metal complexes are emerging as a new class of material with a range of properties inherent to both metal complexes and surfactants.

Effect of sodium salicylate and sodium deoxycholate on fibrillation of bovine serum albumin: comparison of fluorescence, SANS and DLS techniques

Adsorbed sodium salicylate (NaSal) and sodium deoxycholate (NaDC) retard the thermal denaturation of bovine serum albumin.

Controlling the aggregation of sodium dodecylsulphate in aqueous poly(ethylene glycol) solutions

The role of PEG's of different molecular weights on the self-assembly of SDS and the role of added NaCl has been addressed opening new scopes for further studies.

Influence of hydrotropic coions on the shape transitions of sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate aggregates in an aqueous medium

The slope change of the CH plot is a manifestation of the shape change of the ionic micelles. However, binding of the salicylate coion to ionic micelles is an exception to this inference.

Aggregation behavior of sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate in aqueous ethylene glycol medium. A case of hydrogen bonding between surfactant and solvent and its manifestation in the surface tension isotherm

The dependence of critical micelle concentration (cmc) of sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate (AOT) on the amount of ethylene glycol (EG) in water + EG medium was reported to be unusual and different from that of other surfactants to the extent that the cmc of AOT in EG is lower than in water. It is yet to be understood why AOT behaves so in water + EG medium, although AOT is known to have some special properties. Hence in the present study cmc of AOT in water + EG medium in the range from 0 to 100% (by weight) EG is measured by using surface tension and fluorescence emission methods. In contrast to what was reported, this study revealed that with respect to EG amount the cmc of AOT follows the general trend and AOT has higher cmc in EG than in water. On the other hand, it was surprisingly found that a break in the surface tension isotherm occurs in the premicellar region when the amount of EG exceeds 50% rendering a bisigmoidal shape to the surface tension isotherm. UV spectral study showed that AOT and EG undergo hydrogen bonding in the premicellar region when the EG amount is ≥50% and this hydrogen bonding becomes less on adding NaCl. The density functional theory calculations also showed formation of hydrogen bonds between EG and AOT through the sulfonate group of AOT providing thereby support to the experimental findings. The calculations predicted a highly stable AOT-EG-H(2)O trimer complex with a binding energy of -37.93 kcal mol(-1). The present system is an example, which is first of its kind, of a case where hydrogen bonding with surfactant and solvent molecules results in a surface tension break.

Development and long-term in vivo evaluation of a biodegradable urethane-doped polyester elastomer

We have recently reported upon the development of crosslinked urethane-doped polyester (CUPE) network elastomers, which was motivated by the desire to overcome the drawbacks presented by crosslinked network polyesters and biodegradable polyurethanes for soft tissue engineering applications. Although the effect of the isocyanate content and post-polymerization conditions on the material structure-property relationship was examined in detail, the ability of the diol component to modulate the material properties was only studied briefly. Herein, we present a detailed report on the development of CUPE polymers synthesized using diols 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 methylene units in length in order to investigate what role the diol component plays on the resulting material's physical properties, and assess their long-term biological performance in vivo. An increase in the diol length was shown to affect the physical properties of the CUPE polymers primarily through lowered polymeric crosslinking densities and elevated material hydrophobicity. The use of longer chain diols resulted in CUPE polymers with increased molecular weights resulting in higher tensile strength and elasticity, while also increasing the material hydrophobicity to lower bulk swelling and prolong the polymer degradation rates. Although the number of methylene units largely affected the physical properties of CUPE, the choice of diol did not affect the overall polymer cell/tissue-compatibility both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, we have established the diol component as an important parameter in controlling the structure-property relationship of the polymer in addition to diisocyanate concentration and post-polymerization conditions. Expanding the family of CUPE polymers increases the choices of biodegradable elastomers for tissue engineering applications.

Crosslinked urethane doped polyester biphasic scaffolds: Potential for in vivo vascular tissue engineering

In vivo tissue engineering uses the body as a bioreactor for tissue regeneration, thus placing stringent requirements on tissue scaffolds, which should be mechanically robust for immediate implantation without a long in vitro cell culture time. In addition to mechanical strength, vascular grafts fabricated for in vivo tissue engineering approach must have matching mechanical properties to the target tissues to avoid compliance mismatch, which is one of the reasons for graft failure. We recently synthesized a new generation of strong and elastic biodegradable crosslinked urethane-doped polyesters (CUPE) to address the challenge of developing soft, elastic yet strong biodegradable polymers. This study evaluated the tensile strength, burst pressure, and suture retention of CUPE biphasic scaffolds to determine if the scaffolds met the requirements for immediate implantation in an in vivo tissue engineering approach. In addition, we also examined the hemocompatibility and inflammatory potential of CUPE to demonstrate its potential in serving as a blood-contacting vascular graft material. Tensile strength of CUPE biphasic scaffolds (5.02 ± 0.70 MPa) was greater than native vessels (1.43 ± 0.60 MPa). CUPE scaffolds exhibited tunable burst pressure ranging from 1500 mmHg to 2600 mmHg, and adequate suture retention values (2.45 ± 0.23 N). CUPE showed comparable leukocyte activation and whole blood clotting kinetics to poly(L-lactic acid) PLLA. However, CUPE incited a lesser release of inflammatory cytokines and was found to be non hemolytic. Combined with the mechanical properties and previously demonstrated anti-thrombogenic nature, CUPE may serve as a viable graft material for in vivo blood vessel tissue engineering.

Micellar shape driven counterion binding. Small-angle neutron scattering study of AOT micelle

Sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate (AOT) micelle has a special counterion binding behavior in aqueous electrolyte medium, viz., the counterion binding constant (β) abruptly increases by 2-fold at about 0.015 mol dm(-3) NaCl concentration (c*), but not in sodium salicylate (NaSa) solution. Since counterions affect the structure and performance of ionic surfactants, ascertaining the cause for the sudden shift in the β value of AOT micelle is of fundamental importance. In this study the special counterion binding behavior of AOT micelle has been ascertained at 40 °C by carrying out surface tension, zeta potential, and fluorescence emission (pyrene probe) measurements. The results of the small-angle neutron scattering experiment carried out at 40 °C showed that at c* the shape of AOT micelle changes from prolate spheroid to rodlike in NaCl solution, but not in NaSa solution, thus establishing micellar shape change as responsible for the abrupt change in β value. The absence of sudden shift in β of AOT micelle in NaSa solution is attributed to the binding of salicylate coanion to AOT micelle through hydrophobic interaction.

Novel polymeric scaffolds using protein microbubbles as porogen and growth factor carriers

Polymeric tissue engineering scaffolds prepared by conventional techniques like salt leaching and phase separation are greatly limited by their poor biomolecule-delivery abilities. Conventional methods of incorporation of various growth factors, proteins, and/or peptides on or in scaffold materials via different crosslinking and conjugation techniques are often tedious and may affect scaffold's physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. To overcome such deficiencies, a novel two-step porous scaffold fabrication procedure has been created in which bovine serum albumin microbubbles (henceforth MB) were used as porogen and growth factor carriers. Polymer solution mixed with MB was phase separated and then lyophilized to create porous scaffold. MB scaffold triggered substantially lesser inflammatory responses than salt-leached and conventional phase-separated scaffolds in vivo. Most importantly, the same technique was used to produce insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)-eluting porous scaffolds, simply by incorporating IGF-1-loaded MB (MB-IGF-1) with polymer solution before phase separation. In vitro such MB-IGF-1 scaffolds were able to promote cell growth to a much greater extent than scaffold soaked in IGF-1, confirming the bioactivity of the released IGF-1. Further, such MB-IGF-1 scaffolds elicited IGF-1-specific collagen production in the surrounding tissue in vivo. This novel growth factor-eluting scaffold fabrication procedure can be used to deliver a range of single or combination of bioactive biomolecules to substantially promote cell growth and function in degradable scaffold.

Method to analyze three-dimensional cell distribution and infiltration in degradable scaffolds

Effective cell seeding throughout the tissue scaffold often determines the success of tissue-engineering products, although most current methods focus on determining the total number, not the distribution, of the cells associated with tissue-engineering constructs. The purpose of this investigation was to establish a quick, convenient, and efficient method to quantify cell survival, distribution, and infiltration into degradable scaffolds using a combination of fluorescence cell staining and cryosectioning techniques. After cell seeding and culture for different periods of time, seeded scaffolds were stained with a live cell dye and then cryosectioned. Cryosectioned scaffolds were then recompiled into a three-dimensional (3D) image to visualize cell behavior after seeding. To test the effectiveness of this imaging method, four common seeding methods, including static surface seeding, cell injection, orbital shaker seeding, and centrifuge seeding, were investigated for their seeding efficacy. Using this new method, we were able to visualize the benefits and drawbacks of each seeding method with regard to the cell behavior in 3D within the scaffolds. This method is likely to provide useful information to assist the development of novel materials or cell-seeding methods for producing full-thickness tissue grafts.

Development of biodegradable crosslinked urethane-doped polyester elastomers

Traditional crosslinked polyester elastomers are inherently weak, and the strategy of increasing crosslink density to improve their mechanical properties makes them brittle materials. Biodegradable polyurethanes, although strong and elastic, do not fare well in dynamic environments due to the onset of permanent deformation. The design and development of a soft, strong and completely elastic (100% recovery from deformation) material for tissue engineering still remains a challenge. Herein, we report the synthesis and evaluation of a new class of biodegradable elastomers, crosslinked urethane-doped polyesters (CUPEs), which is able to satisfy the need for soft, strong, and elastic biomaterials. Tensile strength of CUPE was as high as 41.07+/-6.85 MPa with corresponding elongation at break of 222.66+/-27.84%. The initial modulus ranged from 4.14+/-1.71 MPa to 38.35+/-4.5 MPa. Mechanical properties and degradation rates of CUPE could be controlled by varying the choice of diol used for synthesis, the polymerization conditions, as well as the concentration of urethane bonds in the polymer. The polymers demonstrated good in vitro and in vivo biocompatibilities. Preliminary hemocompatibility evaluation indicated that CUPE adhered and activated lesser number of platelets compared to PLLA. Good mechanical properties and easy processability make these materials well suited for soft tissue engineering applications. The introduction of CUPEs provides new avenues to meet the versatile requirements of tissue engineering and other biomedical applications.

Linear stability, transient energy growth, and the role of viscosity stratification in compressible plane Couette flow

Linear stability and the nonmodal transient energy growth in compressible plane Couette flow are investigated for two prototype mean flows: (a) the uniform shear flow with constant viscosity, and (b) the nonuniform shear flow with stratified viscosity. Both mean flows are linearly unstable for a range of supersonic Mach numbers (M). For a given M , the critical Reynolds number (Re) is significantly smaller for the uniform shear flow than its nonuniform shear counterpart; for a given Re, the dominant instability (over all streamwise wave numbers, alpha ) of each mean flow belongs to different modes for a range of supersonic M . An analysis of perturbation energy reveals that the instability is primarily caused by an excess transfer of energy from mean flow to perturbations. It is shown that the energy transfer from mean flow occurs close to the moving top wall for "mode I" instability, whereas it occurs in the bulk of the flow domain for "mode II." For the nonmodal transient growth analysis, it is shown that the maximum temporal amplification of perturbation energy, G(max), and the corresponding time scale are significantly larger for the uniform shear case compared to those for its nonuniform counterpart. For alpha=0 , the linear stability operator can be partitioned into L ~ L+Re(2) L(p), and the Re-dependent operator L(p) is shown to have a negligibly small contribution to perturbation energy which is responsible for the validity of the well-known quadratic-scaling law in uniform shear flow: G(t/Re) ~ Re(2). In contrast, the dominance of L(p) is responsible for the invalidity of this scaling law in nonuniform shear flow. An inviscid reduced model, based on Ellingsen-Palm-type solution, has been shown to capture all salient features of transient energy growth of full viscous problem. For both modal and nonmodal instability, it is shown that the viscosity stratification of the underlying mean flow would lead to a delayed transition in compressible Couette flow.

Estimation of the Rigid-Body Motion from Three-Dimensional Images Using a Generalized Center-of-Mass Points Approach

We present an analytical method for the estimation of rigid-body motion in sets of three-dimensional SPECT and PET slices. This method utilizes mathematically defined generalized center-of-mass points in images, requiring no segmentation. It can be applied to compensation of the rigid-body motion in both SPECT and PET, once a series of 3D tomographic images are available. We generalized the formula for the center-of-mass to obtain a family of points co-moving with the object's rigid-body motion. From the family of possible points we chose the best three points which resulted in the minimum root-mean-square difference between images as the generalized center-of-mass points for use in estimating motion. The estimated motion was used to sum the sets of tomographic images, or incorporated in the iterative reconstruction to correct for motion during reconstruction of the combined projection data. For comparison, the principle-axes method was also applied to estimate the rigid-body motion from the same tomographic images. To evaluate our method for different noise levels, we performed simulations with the MCAT phantom. We observed that though noise degraded the motion-detection accuracy, our method helped in reducing the motion artifact both visually and quantitatively. We also acquired four sets of the emission and transmission data of the Data Spectrum Anthropomorphic Phantom positioned at four different locations and/or orientations. From these we generated a composite acquisition simulating periodic phantom movements during acquisition. The simulated motion was calculated from the generalized center-of-mass points calculated from the tomographic images reconstructed from individual acquisitions. We determined that motion-compensation greatly reduced the motion artifact. Finally, in a simulation with the gated MCAT phantom, an exaggerated rigid-body motion was applied to the end-systolic frame. The motion was estimated from the end-diastolic and end-systolic images, and used to sum them into a summed image without obvious artifact. Compared to the principle-axes method, in two of the three comparisons with anthropomorphic phantom data our method estimated the motion in closer agreement to than of the Polaris system than the principal-axes method, while the principle-axes method gave a more accurate estimation of motion in most cases for the MCAT simulations. As an image-driven approach, our method assumes angularly complete data sets for each state of motion. We expect this method to be applied in correction of respiratory motion in respiratory gated SPECT, and respiratory or other rigid-body motion in PET.

The tau mutation in the Syrian hamster differentially reprograms the circadian clock in the SCN and peripheral tissues

The hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), the principal circadian oscillator in mammals, are synchronized to the solar day by the light-dark cycle, and in turn, they coordinate circadian oscillations in peripheral tissues. The tau mutation in the Syrian hamster is caused by a point mutation leading to a deficiency in the ability of Casein Kinase 1epsilon to phosphorylate its targets, including circadian PER proteins. How this accelerates circadian period in neural tissues is not known, nor is its impact on peripheral circadian oscillators established. We show that this mutation has no effect on per mRNA expression nor the nuclear accumulation of PER proteins in the SCN. It does, however, accelerate the clearance of PER proteins from the nucleus to an extent sufficient to explain the shortened circadian period of behavioral rhythms. The mutation also has novel, unanticipated consequences for circadian timing in the periphery, including tissue-specific phase advances and/or reduced amplitude of circadian gene expression. The results suggest that the tau mutation accelerates a specific phase, during mid-late subjective night of the SCN circadian feedback loop, rather than cause a global compression of the entire cycle. This reprogrammed output from the clock is associated with peripheral desynchrony, which in turn could account for impaired growth and metabolic efficiency of the mutant.

Peptidylprolyl isomerase A (PPIA) as a preferred internal control over GAPDH and beta-actin in quantitative RNA analyses

A good internal control is critical in all quantitative analyses of gene expression. Levels of bet-actin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), and peptidylprolyl isomerase A (PPIA) were analyzed in 78 samples (data obtained from our laboratory and from a publicly available database at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/SAGE/). These libraries included cell lines and tissues from brain, breast, colon, kidney, ovary, pancreas, prostate, skin, and vascular origin. The level of PPIA mRNA is the most constant among the three genes. Hence, our study suggests that PPIA is a better internal control than beta-actin or GAPDH, the two most commonly used internal controls.

Clinicopathologic analysis of invasive micropapillary differentiation in breast carcinoma

Invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPCa) of breast is histologically characterized by growth of cohesive tumor cell clusters within prominent clear spaces resembling dilated angiolymphatic vessels. In this study, eighty three breast carcinomas with IMPCa differentiation were identified by review of the invasive carcinoma cases in our institution and correlated retrospectively with standard clinicopathologic parameters and survival status relative to a control series of cases (mean follow up 7 years). IMPCa growth pattern was present in 6% of all breast carcinomas; it was generally a focal component in otherwise typical invasive ductal carcinoma. It comprised more than 80% of the total neoplasm in only 10 cases (12%), 50-80% of the neoplasm in 7 cases (8%), 20-50% of the neoplasm in 22 cases (26%) and less than 20% in 44 cases (53%). The mean tumor size was 4 cm, 22% invaded skin, and 58% were poorly differentiated, but 71% were ER positive. Axillary node metastases were present in 77% of cases, were typically multiple (51% had three or more positive), and usually contained an IMPCa component (81% of the cases). There was no significant difference in node status, ER status, size, tumor grade, or peritumoral angiolymphatic invasion between tumors with predominant (more than 50%) v/s focal IMPCa components. In both groups 46% of the patients died from their disease (mean interval to death = 36m). Skin involvement and nodal status were the only parameters which predicted poor survival (P =.01). The outcome of patients with IMPCa did not differ significantly from infiltrating ductal carcinomas of similar node status. In conclusion, our results suggest that IMPCa growth pattern may be a manifestation of aggressive behavior, as shown by frequent skin invasion and extensive nodal involvement. However, clinicopathologic features and outcome of IMPCa are not strongly dependent on the relative amount of micropapillary component.

Significance of the Gleason scoring system after neoadjuvant hormonal therapy

Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy (NHT) induces morphologic changes in prostate adenocarcinoma that result in the assignment of higher Gleason scores on average than in pretreatment biopsy specimens. This outcome has led to the recommendation that the Gleason scoring system not be applied to prostate adenocarcinoma specimens after NHT. We reviewed the radical prostatectomy specimens of 116 patients who had received NHT. Gleason scores were assigned on the post-treatment specimens by applying the usual criteria; in addition, an estimated pretreatment Gleason score was assigned on the basis of knowledge of the morphologic alterations associated with NHT. Finally, an estimate of the degree of therapy effect was assigned: little or no evidence of hormonal effect (grade 1) to marked therapy-related changes (grade 3). Both the post-treatment and the estimated pretreatment Gleason score correlated significantly with biochemical progression (P = 0.03 and P = 0.03, respectively; log-rank test). The degree of therapy effect did not correlate with progression (P = 0.46; log-rank test). This limited analysis suggests that despite the morphologic alterations induced by NHT, post-treatment Gleason score remains a significant prognostic measure. Further studies in more uniformly treated populations are required to confirm this observation.

8pter-p23 deletion is associated with racial differences in prostate cancer outcome

Deletions of chromosome sequences mapping to the short arm of chromosome 8 have been observed frequently in a variety of human cancers. A small number of studies have suggested that the terminal portion of the short arm of chromosome 8, 8pter-p23, may be deleted independently of other portions of 8p in human tumors, and that deletion of the 8pter-p23 region may be correlated with poor prognosis. The aim of the present study was to physically define the minimal region of 8pter-p23 deletion and to define the frequency and prognostic significance of 8pter-p23 loss in human prostate tumors. DNA was purified from normal and tumor tissues of 45 radical prostatectomy specimens and amplified for 15 highly polymorphic microsatellite sequences, 13 spanning 8pter-p23 and 2 proximal 8p markers. Allelic loss of 8p sequences was observed in 28 of 45 (62%) tumors examined. Of these, approximately half (12 of 28; 43%) demonstrated independent loss of the 8pter-p23 region, with several tumors defining a 5-cM minimal region of deletion spanning D8S264-D8S1824-D8S1781-D8S262-D8S1798. When serum prostate-specific antigen was used as a surrogate end point marker for survival, 8pter-p23 loss was significantly associated with reduced disease-free progression (log-rank P = 0.0426). Moreover, loss of the 8pter-p23 region was significantly associated with poor survival for American Caucasian (log-rank P = 0.0024) but not African-American (log-rank P = 0.5832) prostate cancer patients. These studies suggest that independent deletion of 8pter-p23 is differentially associated with disease recurrence and poor outcome in American Caucasian but not African-American prostate cancer patients.

Gleason score 7 prostate cancer: a heterogeneous entity? Correlation with pathologic parameters and disease-free survival

OBJECTIVES

Gleason score 7, in different proportions of grades 3 and 4, is the score most frequently assigned to prostate cancer in our radical prostatectomy specimens (RPSs). We correlated the major grade component of score 7 tumors with clinicopathologic parameters and disease-free survival.

METHODS

All Gleason score 7 RPSs were classified as having a major grade of 3 or 4 carcinoma. The two groups were compared according to patient age, race, serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, clinical and pathologic stage, tumor volume, and biochemical recurrence.

RESULTS

Of the 534 patients analyzed, 356 and 178 had major grade 3 or 4 tumors, respectively. Compared with patients with 3+4 tumors, those with 4+3 had significantly more advanced clinical and pathologic stages, larger tumor volume, higher preoperative PSA levels, and older age and a higher proportion were African American (P <0.05 for all above parameters). With a mean follow-up of 34.6 months, patients with 3+4 tumors experienced lower rates of PSA recurrence than did those with 4+3 tumors (P = 0.0021). Furthermore, for the subset of patients with organ-confined disease, multivariable analysis that included race, age, clinical stage, preoperative PSA level, tumor volume, and major grade component found only the latter to be a significant predictor of recurrence, with patients who had major grade 4 component tumors experiencing a higher incidence of PSA recurrence than those with major grade 3 tumors (P = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

The major grade 4 component in Gleason score 7 carcinoma indicates a higher likelihood of biochemical recurrence, particularly for the increasing proportion of patients with organ-confined disease after radical prostatectomy.

On the Nature of the Compact Star in 4U 1728-34

The discovery of kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations (kHz QPOs) in low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) with the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer has stimulated extensive studies of these sources. Recently, Osherovich & Titarchuk suggested a new model for kHz QPOs and the related correlations between kHz QPOs and low-frequency features in LMXBs. Here we use their results to study the mass-radius relation for the atoll source 4U 1728-34. We find that, if this model is correct, 4U 1728-34 is possibly a strange star rather than a neutron star.

Defining and measuring quality of diabetes care

The literature on diabetes mellitus has increasingly focused on the quality of diabetes care and its measurement. Serious and widespread quality problems exist throughout American medicine. Current efforts to improve will not succeed unless we undertake a major, systematic effort to overhaul how we deliver health care services, educate and train clinicians, and assess and improve quality. This article defines the components of quality of diabetes care provision and discusses approaches to their measurement individually and globally.

Internet use by endocrinologists

Endocrinologists, like other physicians, are information managers. They manage both disease-specific and patient-specific information and must integrate both types of information to provide the best possible care for their patients. New technologies offer abundant new approaches to medical information management tasks. Many will focus on computer hardware and software applications; others will seek solutions from video, telecommunications, the marriage of computer and consumer electronics, and other evolving technologies popularly referred to as multimedia and virtual reality. Few innovations in history have had the potential to so profoundly change our lives as the Internet. The incredible growth of the Internet to a vast system of interconnected networks serving more than 75 million users in the United States alone largely has been driven by the growth of newsgroups and e-mail, providing a means of communication among Internet users and particularly the World Wide Web (WWW). Information on web pages can be "linked" so that users can click on a link and navigate to other information on the same page, on other pages of the same document, on other files on the same computer, or on other computers linked to the Internet anywhere in the world. Moreover, the navigation requires no knowledge of arcane, difficult-to-remember commands. Hypertext links have the great utility of allowing users to navigate through information according to their own interests and information needs, as opposed to those of an author. The WWW also allows authors to link to other sources of information, rather than having to recreate it themselves. Increasingly easy access to the WWW has dramatically reduced the barriers to publication of information, since it is much easier and much less expensive to place information on the WWW than it is to publish and distribute it in hard copy form. This ease of publication has led to an incredible proliferation of information on the WWW. Much WWW information is of value to health professionals, including endocrinologists. This chapter reviews a variety of potential uses of the Internet by endocrinologists in their clinical, research, and educator roles and provides a number of examples of each. Approaches to finding useful information on the Internet are addressed. Finally, we include some speculation about the role of the Internet in the future practice of endocrinology.

Activation of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase upon substitution of tryptophan 314 at the dimer interface

Horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase contains two tryptophan residues per subunit, Trp-15 on the surface of the catalytic domain and Trp-314 buried in the interface between the subunits of the dimer. We studied the contributions of the tryptophans to fluorescence and catalytic dynamics by substituting Trp-314 with a leucine residue and making two compensatory mutations that were required to obtain a stable protein, leading to the triple mutant M303F-L308I-W314L enzyme. The substitutions increased by two- to sixfold the turnover numbers for ethanol oxidation, acetaldehyde reduction, and the dissociation constants of the coenzymes. The rate of the exponential burst phase for the transient oxidation of ethanol increased slightly, but the rate of dissociation of the enzyme-NADH complex still limited turnover of ethanol, as for wild-type enzyme. The three substitutions at the dimer interface apparently activate the enzyme by allowing more rapid conformational changes that accompany coenzyme binding, probably due to movement of the loop containing residues 293 to 298. The emission spectrum of M303F-L308I-W314L enzyme, which contains Trp-15, was redshifted compared to wild-type enzyme. Time-resolved fluorescence measurements with the triple mutant show that the decay of Trp-15 is dominated by a approximately 7-ns component. In the mutant enzyme with Trp-15 substituted with phenylalanine, the decay of Trp-314 is dominated by a approximately 4-ns component. Solute quenching data for wild-type enzyme and the mutants show that only Trp-15 is exposed to iodide and acrylamide, whereas Trp-314 is inaccessible. The luminescence properties of the tryptophan residues in the mutated enzymes are consistent with conclusions from studies of the wild-type enzyme [M. R. Eftink, 1992, Adv. Biophys. Chem. 2, 81-114].

Enhanced separation of antidepressant drugs using a polymerized nonionic surfactant as a transient capillary coating

The separation of seven structurally similar antidepressant drugs (amitriptyline, nortriptyline, imipramine, desipramine, protriptyline, doxepin, and nordoxepin) was achieved in under 15 min using a novel nonionic micelle polymer, poly(n-undecyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside) (PUG) by use of capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). Systematic studies with varying polymer concentration, pH, and percent organic modifier were conducted in order to find the optimum conditions for baseline separation of the seven tricyclic antidepressants. In addition, equations for capacity factor were used to estimate the extent of what was initially thought to be micelle analyte interaction. A series of calculations show that a modified CZE system (PUG-CZE) was the actual mode of separation. Thus, our study concluded that PUG functioned in a non-electrokinetic chromatography mode.

Roles and microenvironments of tryptophanyl residues of spinach phosphoribulokinase

Phosphoribulokinase is one of several Calvin cycle enzymes that are light-regulated via the ferredoxin-thioredoxin system (R. A. Wolosiuk and B. B. Buchanan, 1978, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 189, 97-101). Substitution of the only two Trp residues of the enzyme was prompted by the following goals: to identify each tryptophanyl residue with respect to prior classifications as exposed and buried (C. A. Ghiron et al., 1988, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 260, 267-272); to explore the possible active-site location and function of conserved Trp155, as suggested by sequence proximity to catalytic Asp160 (H. A. Charlier et al., 1994, Biochemistry 33, 9343-9350); and to determine if fluorescence of a Trp residue can serve as a gauge of conformational differences between the reduced (active) and the oxidized (inactive) forms of the enzyme. Emission spectra and acrylamide quenching data demonstrate that Trp155 is solvent exposed, while Trp241 is buried. Kinetic parameters of the W241F mutant are not significantly altered relative to those of wild-type enzyme, thereby discounting any requirement for Trp at position 241. While substitution of Trp155 with Phe or Ala has little impact on Vmax, the Km for Ru5P and ATP are increased substantially; the diminished affinity for ATP is particularly pronounced in the case of the Ala substitution. In further support of an active-site location of Trp155, its fluorescence emission is subject to quenching by nucleotides. Fluorescence quenching of reduced W241F by ATP gives a dissociation constant (Kd) of 37 microM, virtually identical with its Km of 46 microM, and provides for the first time a direct measurement of the interaction of the kinase with product ADP (Kd of 1.3 mM). Fluorescence quenching of oxidized W241F by ATP reveals a Kd of 28 mM; however, this weakened binding does not reflect an altered microenvironment of Trp155, as its steady-state emission and fluorescence lifetimes are unaffected by the oxidation state.

Cognitive function in younger type II diabetes

OBJECTIVE

To examine central nervous system involvement as a possible complication of diabetes by performing a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation of relatively young (age < 55 years) NIDDM patients and a group of control subjects.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A cross-sectional comparative study of 28 patients, with duration of diabetes 5-18 years (mean +/- SD +/- 3.2 years), screened for acceptable glycemic control and absence of hypoglycemia on the day of examination, compared with 28 demographically similar, nondiabetic control subjects. Neuropsychometric tests performed were Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination (NCSE), and P300 latencies (endogenous evoked potentials).

RESULTS

Seven (25.0%) patients reported history suggestive of cognitive impairment during day-to-day activities, and 17 (60.7%) had distal symmetrical polyneuropathy. Average P300 latencies were significantly delayed among the diabetic patients compared with the control subjects (349.5 +/- 28.2 vs. 312.9 +/- 19.3 ms; t = 5.68, P < 0.001). Although there was no significant difference in MMSE scores, compared with control subjects significantly more patients had impairment in NCSE tests of attention (chi 2 = 7.38, P < 0.01), repetition (chi 2 = 4.073, P < 0.05), and memory (chi 2 = 5.83, P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference in tests of comprehension, naming, construction, and calculation. Duration of diabetes, HbA1c levels, and the presence of distal symmetrical polyneuropathy among patients each did not correlate with any of the parameters of cognitive function evaluated. Higher blood glucose levels during the electrophysiological testing were associated with less delay in P300 latencies among the patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Central nervous system impairment, manifesting as mild impairments in certain cognitive skills, should be recognized as a possible complication of long-standing NIDDM, even in relatively younger individuals.

MnPcS4: a new MRI contrast enhancing agent for tumor localisation in mice

Manganese-tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine (MnPcS4) has been evaluated as a potential contrast agent in Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for tumor localisation in mice. MnPcS4 showed favourable molar relaxivity, much better than Gd-DTPA and comparable to tetrasulfonated manganese complex of porphyrin (TPPS4). Tumors showed selective retention of the metal complex (dye) with the peak value reached at 24 hours following intravenous administration. Dye concentration in tumors remained consistently higher than either kidney or muscle tissue both at 1 and 24 hours and a 10-fold increase in tumor-to-muscle ratio over the control was seen at 24 hr. Normal liver tissue, however, showed higher concentration than tumor at all times during the study. A linear correlation was found between longitudinal relaxation rate (1/T1) and the corresponding concentration of MnPcS4 in various tissues. MR imaging done in animals using 1.5 T superconducting clinical imager showed a mean percent increase in signal intensity of 131.8% (SD +/- 32.86) in the tumor and a 70% increase in tumor-to-muscle ratio over the pretreatment value, at 24 hr. The results suggest that MnPcS4 is a potential tumor-selective contrast agent in MRI.