The prognostic significance of sialyl-Tn antigen in women treated with breast carcinoma treated with adjuvant chemotherapy

BACKGROUND: Sialyl-Tn (STn) represents an aberrantly glycosylated mucin epitope that is expressed in breast carcinoma and other adenocarcinomas and is an important factor in the development of novel immunotherapeutic approaches. The primary aim of the current study was to investigate the influence of STn expression on the prognoses of patients with breast carcinoma. METHODS: A cohort of 207 women diagnosed with invasive breast carcinoma who were treated with anthracycline-containing adjuvant chemotherapy and were enrolled in a randomized clinical trial were studied. Expression of STn was determined by an immunohistochemical procedure in which the B72.3 monoclonal antibody was used. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional regression survival analyses were used to compare low STn and high STn patients. RESULTS: Forty-eight (23%) of the 207 specimens demonstrated high STn staining (>25% cells were immunoreactive). During a median follow-up of 5 years, high STn patients had worse disease free survival than low STn patients (55% vs. 74%, respectively; P = 0.03). High STn expression was significantly associated with age (P = 0.04) but not with other conventional prognostic markers. In multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model, high STn emerged as an independent prognostic indicator for disease free survival (hazard ratio [HR], 2.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-3.73) and for overall survival (HR, 2.16; 95% CI, 0.95-4.92). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that STn may be a valuable marker for identifying women at high risk of developing recurrent breast carcinoma who may be candidates for trials investigating new therapies in combination with standard adjuvant therapy.     

Improvement of Mechanical Properties of Oligomer-modified Acrylic Bone Cement with Glass-fibers

Some mechanical properties of oligomer-modified acrylic bone cement with glass-fibers were studied. Under wet environments, oligomer-filler forms a porous structure in the acrylic bone cement. Test specimens were manufactured using commercial bone cement (Palacos^® R) with different quantities of an experimental oligomer-filler (0–20 wt%), and included continuous unidirectional E-glass fibers (l=65 mm) or chopped E-glass fibers (l=2 mm). The specimens were either tested dry, or after being immersed under wet environments for one week. The three-point bending test was used to measure the flexural strength and modulus of the acrylic bone cement composites (analysis with ANOVA). A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to examine the surface structure of the acrylic bone cement composites. Using continuous glass-fiber reinforcement, the dry flexural strength was 145 MPa and modulus was 4.6 GPa for the plain bone cement. For the test specimens with 20 wt% of oligomer-filler and continuous unidirectional glass-fibers, the dry flexural strength was 118 MPa and modulus was 4.2 GPa, whereas the wet flexural strength was 66 MPa and modulus was 3.0 GPa. The results suggest that the reduced flexural properties caused by the porosity of oligomer-modified bone cement can be compensated with glass-fiber reinforcement.     

Multiple esterase forms in isolated hepatocytes and Kupffer cells of partially hepatectomized rats

The esterase patterns of isolated parenchymal liver cells of rats consisted of 6 bands of enzymatic activity, whereas the patterns of iron-loaded Kupffer cells showed 5 bands. Both patterns become simpler in the early prereplicative period of liver regeneration. Dukring simultaneous replication of DNA, i.e. 24 h after partial liver removal, an additional band of esterase activity appears in patterns of hepatocytes and Kupffer cells. At the moment of maximum hepatocyte mitotic rate, i.e. 36 h after partial hepatectomy, both esterase patterns lose the single band of activity again. 2 or 3 days after surgery the initial esterase patterns in hepatocytes return whereas the patterns of Kupffer cells remain incomplete.     

Injectable bioactive glass/biodegradable polymer composite for bone and cartilage reconstruction: Concept and experimental outcome with thermoplastic composites of poly(ε-caprolactone-co-D,L-lactide) and bioactive glass S53P4

Injectable composites (Glepron) of particulate bioactive glass S53P4 (BAG) and Poly(epsilon-caprolactone-co-D,L-lactide) as thermoplastic carrier matrix were investigated as bone fillers in cancellous and cartilagineous subchondral bone defects in rabbits. Composites were injected as viscous liquid or mouldable paste. The glass granules of the composites resulted in good osteoconductivity and bone bonding that occurred initially at the interface between the glass and the host bone. The bone bioactivity index (BBI) indicating bone contacts between BAG and bone, as well as the bone coverage index (BCI) indicating bone ongrowth, correlated with the amount of glass in the composites. The indices were highest with 70 wt % of BAG, granule size 90-315 microm and did not improve by the addition of sucrose as in situ porosity creating agent in the composite or by using smaller (<45 microm) glass granules. The percentage of new bone ingrowth into the composite with 70 wt % of BAG was 6-8% at 23 weeks. At the articular surface cartilage regeneration with chondroblasts and mature chondrocytes was often evident. The composites were osteoconductive and easy to handle with short setting time. They were biocompatible with low foreign body cellular reaction. Results indicate a suitable working concept as a filler bone substitute for subchondral cancellous bone defects.     

CO_2-CH_4重整制合成气Ni-Mg/Al_2O_3催化剂制备与表征

用３ 种浸渍程序制备ＣＯ２ ＣＨ４ 重整制合成气的Ｎｉ Ｍｇ／Ａｌ２Ｏ３ 催化剂,结果表明用二次不等量浸渍法制备的催化剂性能较好,程序升温实验也说明二次不等量浸渍法制备的催化剂其表面活牲Ｎｉ 粒子较多。     

PVC建筑膜材的表面处理及其亲水性能研究

为制备具有亲水和防污自清洁性能的PVC建筑薄膜,在经低温等离子体改性的PVC薄膜表面涂覆SiO2作为隔离层,然后采用旋涂法将TiO2涂覆于薄膜表面,制备得到PVC/SiO2/TiO2复合膜。利用XRD、FTIR、SEM、EDS等测试手段对复合膜的形貌和结构进行表征,并用接触角测试仪测定了其亲水性能,经紫外光照后,复合膜的接触角由42.2°降为10.9°,结果表明TiO2层的涂覆大大地提高了PVC薄膜的亲水性能。     

UPPC梁的开裂截面惯性矩及挠度计算研究

为满足无粘结部分预应力混凝土(UPPC)梁正常使用极限状态的设计要求, 必须合理估算使用荷载下构件的挠度。由于预应力筋与其周围混凝土没有粘结, 加之部分预应力混凝土梁的中性轴随外荷载而动, 开裂截面形心轴及开裂截面惯性矩也跟着变, 这给UPPC梁的挠度计算带来了困难。该文建立了一个UPPC梁的开裂截面惯性矩计算方法, 在此基础上, 可以按Branson方法很容易地计算出截面有效惯性矩。该有效惯性矩与按《混凝土设计规范》(GB50010-2010)方法所得的有效惯性矩较接近, 前者与后者之比在0.89~1.10。计算挠度与3个不同研究者的试验对比表明所建立方法是正确的并具有较广泛的适用性, 可用于无粘结预应力筋为纤维复合材料的混凝土梁, 而目前的混凝土结构设计规范方法则无法应用于此类构件。     

Bee and wasp venom allergy in Turkey

Astrocytes and derived factors maintain the morphologic, phenotypic, and physiological properties of the blood-brain barrier. Astroglial cells may also modulate endothelial cell properties associated with the entry of inflammatory cells into the brain. The study of mechanisms of lymphocyte migration through the blood-brain barrier is critical to understanding the pathophysiology of autoimmune (multiple sclerosis) and virus-induced central nervous system diseases (HIV-induced dementia). In this context the contribution of astrocyte derived factors in regulating the interactions between inflammatory cells and endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier was studied. The treatment of endothelial cells derived from brain or peripheral sources (hepatic) with astrocyte conditioned medium resulted in a dose dependent enhancement of adhesion of T cells to endothelium. The antigen specificity of the T cells did not influence the findings. Identical results were obtained with fresh Concanavalin A activated T cells and T cell hybridomas generated using myelin basic protein or chicken ovalbumin as immunogens. Further studies are in progress to define the active components in astrocyte conditioned medium and endothelial cell adhesion molecules that are regulated in order to gain a better understanding of mechanisms of inflammatory cell entry into the central nervous system.     

Calcium phosphate induction by sol-gel-derived titania coatings on titanium substrates in vitro

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to document specific attributes of pulsatile luteinizing hormone secretion in middle-aged women before discernible alterations in their menstrual cycles and to compare the results to corresponding data obtained in younger women. STUDY DESIGN: After documenting normal cycle length, biphasic basal body temperatures, and normal midluteal progesterone in younger and middle-aged women during an initial cycle, daily blood samples and samples withdrawn at 10-minute intervals for 8 hours during the midfollicular phase were obtained during a subsequent cycle. RESULTS: Assessment of luteinizing hormone pulses with the pulse detection algorithm Cluster demonstrated a prolonged interpulse interval and increased pulse width in the older women. Assessment of luteinizing hormone secretory bursts and half-life with the deconvolution analysis procedure demonstrated a prolonged interburst interval and half-life in the older women. Appraisal of approximate entropy revealed greater orderliness of luteinizing hormone release in the older women. CONCLUSIONS: Middle-aged women exhibit alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary function that may account in part for age-related changes in reproductive potential.