Proteomics of breast cancer for marker discovery and signal pathway profiling

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women and the identification of markers to discriminate tumorigenic from normal cells, as well as the different stages of this pathology, is of critical importance. Two-dimensional electrophoresis has been used before for studying breast cancer, but the progressive completion of human genomic sequencing and the introduction of mass spectrometry, combined with advanced bioinformatics for protein identification, have considerably increased the possibilities for characterizing new markers and therapeutic targets. Breast cancer proteomics has already identified markers of potential clinical interest (such as the molecular chaperone 14-3-3 sigma) and technological innovations such as large scale and high throughput analysis are now driving the field. Methods in functional proteomics have also been developed to study the intracellular signaling pathways that underlie the development of breast cancer. As illustrated with fibroblast growth factor-2, a mitogen and motogen factor for breast cancer cells, proteomics is a powerful approach to identify signaling proteins and to decipher the complex signaling circuitry involved in tumor growth. Together with genomics, proteomics is well on the way to molecularly characterizing the different types of breast tumor, and thus defining new therapeutic targets for future treatment.

Is the irritable bladder associated with anterior compartment relaxation? A critical look at the 'integral theory of pelvic floor dysfunction'

The 'integral theory of pelvic floor dysfunction', first proposed by Petros and Ulmsten in 1990, claims that anterior vaginal wall relaxation is associated with symptoms of urgency, frequency, nocturia and urge incontinence. A retrospective study was designed to test this hypothesis. Imaging data and urodynamic reports from 272 women suffering from symptoms of lower urinary tract dysfunction were evaluated. Opening of the retrovesical angle, bladder neck descent, urethral rotation and descent of a cystocele during Valsalva were used to quantify anterior vaginal wall laxity None of the tested parameters were associated with symptoms and signs of detrusor overactivity. On the contrary, patients with higher grades of urethral and bladder descent were less likely to suffer from nocturia and urge incontinence and were less likely to leave sensory urgency and detrusor instability diagnosed on urodynamic testing. The findings of this study therefore do not support this hypothesis of the 'integral theory'.

A multiple-outgroup approach to resolving division-level phylogenetic relationships using 16S rDNA data

The 16S rRNA gene (16S rDNA) is currently the most widely used gene for estimating the evolutionary history of prokaryotes, To date, there are more than 30 000 16S rDNA sequences available from the core databases, GenBank, EMBL and DDBJ, This great number may cause a dilemma when composing datasets for phylogenetic analysis, since the choice and number of reference organisms are known to affect the resulting tree topology. A group of sequences appearing monophyletic in one dataset may not be so in another. This can be especially problematic when establishing the relationships of distantly related sequences at the division (phylum) level. In this study, a multiple-outgroup approach to resolving division-level phylogenetic relationships is suggested using 16S rDNA data. The approach is illustrated by two case studies concerning the monophyly of two recently proposed bacterial divisions, OP9 and OP10.

A critical note on UNDP's gender inequality indices

This paper analyses the different indices applied for the measurement of human development as constructed by the United Nations Development Program. Of special interest is the Gender Development Index (GDI), introduced in the 1995 Human Development Report and the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM). In light of the mate bias in the Indian socioeconomic context, the application of the GDI and GEM acquires special significance. A critical appraisal of their theoretical base and their application has been undertaken in this paper. The conclusion is that GDI and GEM. although praise-worthy achievements on the part of the UNDP, do not adequately reflect or measure male/female disparity in the Indian context. Both indices suffer from the weakness of employing a pre-assigned value of the Gender Sensitive Equity Indicator. They also exhibit several other shortcomings, outlined here. GDI is a poor indicator of the relative deprivation of females as shown by our analysis of the relationship between the GDI and the female/male ratio for 16 Indian core states.

A new approach for detecting and mapping sewage impacts

Increased nitrogen loading has been implicated in eutrophication occurrences worldwide. Much of this loading is attributable to the growing human population along the world's coastlines. A significant component of this nitrogen input is from sewage effluent, and delineation of the distribution and biological impact of sewage-derived nitrogen is becoming increasingly important. Here, we show a technique that identifies the source, extent and fate of biologically available sewage nitrogen in coastal marine ecosystem. This method is based on the uptake of sewage nitrogen by marine plants and subsequent analysis of the sewage signature (elevated delta N-15) in plant tissues. Spatial analysis is used to create maps of delta N-15 and establish coefficient of variation estimates of the mapped values. We show elevated delta N-15 levels in marine plants near sewage outfalls in Moreton Bay, Australia, a semi-enclosed bay receiving multiple sewage inputs. These maps of sewage nitrogen distribution are being used to direct nutrient reduction strategies in the region and will assist in monitoring the effectiveness of environmental protection measures. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comparison of the lateral and posterior retroperitoneoscopic approach for complete and partial nephroureterectomy in children

Objective To report the comparative results of a selective posterior or lateral retroperitoneoscopic approach (RPA) for nephroureterectomy in children. Patients and methods Following an established experience with RPA, 36 complete and 19 partial nephrouretectomies were prospectively randomized to a posterior and lateral retroperitoneoscopic approach. The patients were aged 4 months to 14 years, with a body weight at operation of 5.7-82 kg. For posterior RPA the child is positioned prone, with three access ports. The operating space was created with balloon dissection and maintained with CO2 insufflation. The child was then rotated 30 degrees with the kidney in the dependent position, and the operator and assistant standing on the affected side. In the lateral approach the child is in the lateral decubitus position with the operator and assistant facing the dorsal aspect of the patient. Results There was no significant difference in operative duration between the lateral and posterior approaches for nephrectomy (65 and 47 min) or partial nephrectomy (85 and 75 min). Two lateral nephrectomies required open conversion (one upper pole and one lower pole). Conclusion The posterior approach gives easy and quick access to the renal pedicle. It is preferable for complete nephrectomy alone and partial or polar excision. In children under 5 years old a near complete ureterectomy can be achieved. The lateral approach creates more inferomedial space, gives better access to ectopic kidneys and allows complete ureterectomy in all cases, Access to the pedicle in the normal position requires more frequent positioning of the kidney. Care must be taken as peritoneal tears are more common.