Tissue biomarker development in a multicentre trial context: a feasibility study on the PETACC3 stage II and III colon cancer adjuvant treatment trial.

Purpose: We evaluated the feasibility of biomarker development in the context of multicenter clinical trials.

Experimental Design: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples were collected from a prospective adjuvant colon cancer trial (PETACC3). DNA was isolated from tumor as well as normal tissue and used for analysis of microsatellite instability, KRAS and BRAF genotyping, UGT1A1 genotyping, and loss of heterozygosity of 18 q loci. Immunohistochemistry was used to test expression of TERT, SMAD4, p53, and TYMS. Messenger RNA was retrieved and tested for use in expression profiling experiments.

Results: Of the 3,278 patients entered in the study, FFPE blocks were obtained from 1,564 patients coming from 368 different centers in 31 countries. In over 95% of the samples, genomic DNA tests yielded a reliable result. Of the immmunohistochemical tests, p53 and SMAD4 staining did best with reliable results in over 85% of the cases. TERT was the most problematic test with 46% of failures, mostly due to insufficient tissue processing quality. Good quality mRNA was obtained, usable in expression profiling experiments.

Conclusions: Prospective clinical trials can be used as framework for biomarker development using routinely processed FFPE tissues. Our results support the notion that as a rule, translational studies based on FFPE should be included in prospective clinical trials.

The effect of familiarity on echolocation in the megachiropteran bat Rousettus aegyptiacus

Much is known about the way bats adjust their echolocation behaviour in response to environmental structure or to locate insect prey. By contrast, little is known about how echolocation calls are modulated in response to familiarity of the environment and objects within it. Here we show that the echolocating Megachiropteran bat Rousettus aegyptiacus produces echolocation signals at the same rate whether an obstacle is predictable or unpredictable in location, but that it has a reduced rate of echolocation signal production in a familiar environment with no obstacle present. This suggests that signal production is reduced in a familiar environment absent of 'clutter' but that probing the environment for maximum information is more important for this species than minimizing any cost of probing the environment in a cluttered space.

Echolocation signals and pinnae movement in the fruitbat Rousettus aegyptiacus

The fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus has highly mobile pinnae. Little is known about the role that such movements play in sound localisation however and whether they interact with the process of echolocation in this species. Here we report the correspondence of echolocation signals in free flight with the downward wingbeat and forward movement of the pinnae, and demonstrate that the ears have a greater sensitivity to click stimuli in front of the animal when directed forwards than when back and to the side. The potential significance of the production of echolocation signals whilst the ears are moving from their least sensitive to their most sensitive position is discussed.

Echolocation signal structure in the Megachiropteran bat Rousettus aegyptiacus Geoffroy 1810

Rousettus aegyptiacus Geoffroy 1810 is a member of the only genus of Megachiropteran bats to use vocal echolocation, but the structure of its brief, click-like signal is poorly described. Although thought to have a simple echolocation system compared to that of Microchiroptera, R. aegyptiacus is capable of good obstacle avoidance using its impulse sonar. The energy content of the signal was at least an order of magnitude smaller than in Microchiropteran bats and dolphins (approximately 4 X 10(-8) J m(-2)). Measurement of the duration, amplitude and peak frequency demonstrate that the signals of this animal are broadly similar in structure and duration to those of dolphins. Gabor functions were used to model signals and to estimate signal parameters, and the quality of the Gabor function fit to the early part of the signal demonstrates that the echolocation signals of R. aegyptiacus match the minimum spectral spread for their duration and amplitude and are thus well matched to its best hearing sensitivity. However, the low energy content of the signals and short duration should make returning echoes difficult to detect. The performance of R. aegyptincus in obstacle avoidance experiments using echolocation therefore remains something of a conundrum.

Large-Range Movements of Neotropical Orchid Bees Observed via Radio Telemetry

Neotropical orchid bees (Euglossini) are often cited as classic examples of trapline-foragers with potentially extensive foraging ranges. If long-distance movements are habitual, rare plants in widely scattered locations may benefit from euglossine pollination services. Here we report the first successful use of micro radio telemetry to track the movement of an insect pollinator in a complex and forested environment. Our results indicate that individual male orchid bees (Exaerete frontalis) habitually use large rainforest areas (at least 42-115 ha) on a daily basis. Aerial telemetry located individuals up to 5 km away from their core areas, and bees were often stationary, for variable periods, between flights to successive localities. These data suggest a higher degree of site fidelity than what may be expected in a free living male bee, and has implications for our understanding of biological activity patterns and the evolution of forest pollinators.

Mélanges historiques et littéraires. L'histoire de France, dans ses rapports avec celle de l'Angleterre, occupe la plus grande partie de ce recueil, dont le numéros 3 forme les chapitres X à LXXX « des Cronicques de Normandie » publiées en 1881 par A. Hellat.

Contient : 1 « Hystoires et fais des nobles ducs de Normandie » depuis Rollon ; 2 Discours de la conspiration du duc Henry de Lancastre contre le roi Richard II d'Angleterre, en 1399 ; 3 Relation de la guerre de 1414 entre Charles VI, roi de France, et Henri V, roi d'Angleterre, pour la restitution de la Normandie et autres provinces que Henri V prétendait lui appartenir ; 4 Recouvrement du duché de Normandie, par GILLES LE BOUVIER, dit BERRY ; 5 Traités entre le roi de France et les villes de Bordeaux et de Bayonne (fol. 178-186), et récit d'un miracle survenu à Bayonne (fol. 183 v°) ; 6 Le Secret des secrets d'Aristote, ou Livre du gouvernement des rois et des princes, traduit du latin de Philippe, clerc de l'église de Tripoli, par JOFROI DE WATREFORD ; 7 La Danse des aveugles, par PIERRE MICHAULT

Winning On for the Gipper: Diversity Strategies and Initiative at Notre Dame

One of the enduring images linked to the University of Notre Dame is that of injured football player George Gipp imploring Coach Knute Rockne to "Win One for the Gipper. " Similarly, people of color and conscience at Notre Dame struggle with formidable challenges in implementing diversity into areas of faculty retention, university initiatives and community outreach, all while remaining sane. The panelists will discuss innovative successes and continuing efforts that can be adapted by others seeking a game plan for diversity.

Use of instructional video to prepare parents for learning infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Parents of premature infants often receive infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training prior to discharge from the hospital, but one study showed that 27.5% of parents could not demonstrate adequate CPR skills after completing an instructor-led class. We hypothesized that parents who viewed an instructional video on infant CPR before attending the class would perform better on a standardized skills test than parents who attended the class with no preparation. Parents randomized to the intervention (video) group viewed the video within 48 hours of the CPR class. Parents in the control group attended the class with no special preparation. All parents completed the CPR skills checklist test, usually within 7 days after class and before the infant's hospital discharge. The test rated subjects' skills in the areas of assessment, ventilation, and chest compressions; each section was rated as good, fair, or fail. In this pass/fail test, students had to be rated good or fair on all three sections to pass. All 10 subjects in the video group passed the test versus only 9 of 13 in the control group, but this difference was not significant (P = 0.08). However, 8 of 10 (80%) subjects in the video group were rated as good on all three sections, versus only 3 of 13 (18.7%) in the control group, and this was a significant difference (P = 0.012). We conclude that preparation of students using an instructional video prior to infant CPR class is associated with improvement in skills performance as measured by a standardized skills test. Video preparation is relatively inexpensive, eliminates the barrier of reading ability for preparation, and can be done at the convenience of the parent.

Comedias escogidas de frey Lope Fe lix de Vega Carpio /

"Relacio n entre las costumbres y los escritos de Lope de Vega, por ... Adolfo de Castro": t. 1, p. [xxix]-xxxii.

Plenary papers of the 1999 Conference on Criminal Justice Research and Evaluation--enhancing policy and practice through research.

"Sept. 2000" (v. 3).

Parole pronunciate da Luigi Londonio all'atto del tumulamento in Moltrasio delle salma del conte Alessandro Lucini Passalaqua.

University of Illinois bookplate: "From the library of Conte Antonio Cavagna Sangiuliani di Gualdana Lazelada di Bereguardo, purchased 1921".

Kitāb ʼAk︠h︡bār ʼal-ʼaʻyān fī Jabal Lubnān /

Includes bibliographical references.