Cytologically normal cells from neoplastic cervical samples display extensive structural abnormalities on IR spectroscopy: Implications for tumor biology

Fourier-transform IR (FT-IR) spectra of pelleted exfoliated cervical cells from patients with cervical cancer or dysplasia differ from those from normal women. To study the origin of these spectral changes, we obtained the FT-IR spectra of individual cervical cells from normal, dysplastic, and malignant cervical samples. Ninety five percent of normal superficial and intermediate cells displayed two distinct spectral patterns designated A and B, and 5% displayed an intermediate pattern, suggesting extensive structural heterogeneity among these cells. Parabasal and endocervical cells showed pattern B spectra. The spectra of malignant, dysplastic, and other abnormal cells also were characterized. Analysis of FT-IR spectra of over 2,000 individual cells from 10 normal females, 7 females with dysplasia, and 5 females with squamous cell carcinoma revealed that the spectra of normal-appearing intermediate and superficial cells of the cervix from women with either dysplasia or cancer differed from those of normal women. Chemometric and classical spectroscopic analysis showed a continuum of changes paralleling the transition from normalcy to malignancy. These findings suggest that (i) the structural changes underlying the spectroscopic changes are involved in or are a product of cervical carcinogenesis and (ii) the neoplastic process may be more extensive than currently recognized with morphological criteria. This approach may be useful for the structural study of neoplasia and also may be of help in the diagnosis or classification of cervical disorders.

Applications of informatics in veterinary medicine

This study used the peer-reviewed biomedical literature to define the veterinary informatics knowledgebase and associated subspecialties, and assesses the level of activity in the field over the thirty-year period from 1966 through 1995. Grateful Med was used to search the MEDLINE bibliographic database for articles that shared one or more Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) keywords from the veterinary and medical informatics subject headings. Each of ninety-five MeSH medical informatics terms was assigned to one of twelve veterinary informatics subspecialties. The number of articles retrieved by each MeSH keyword and subspecialty was calculated. A total of 611 articles were retrieved, representing the contributions of 1,338 authors published in 153 journals. The field experienced slow growth over the twenty-year period from 1966 through 1985. In the following decade, the cumulative number of veterinary informatics articles almost tripled and the percentage of veterinary-related articles that included an informatics component increased almost two-and-one-half fold. Despite this recent growth, the number of veterinary-related articles with an informatics component has never exceeded 1% of either the veterinary or medical informatics literature over the past thirty years, and representation of veterinary subspecialties in the literature varied widely.

Relação entre adiposidade materna e do recém-nascido com concentrações de vitamina D materna e do cordão umbilical

Introdução - A vitamina D desempenha funções na regulação da homeostase do cálcio e fósforo, diferenciação celular, metabolismo de hormônios e regulação do sistema imune. Sua deficiência em crianças pode ocasionar raquitismo, convulsões e insuficiência respiratória. Objetivo - Determinar a relação entre adiposidade materna e do recém-nascido com as concentrações de vitamina D materna e do cordão umbilical. Metodologia - Foram envolvidas 101 mães e seus respectivos recém-nascidos selecionados no Hospital Maternidade Vila Nova Cachoeirinha, São Paulo. A concentração de vitamina D foi determinada por cromatografia líquida. A composição corporal materna foi determinada por bioimpedância segmentada (InBody®, Coréia do Sul) e a dos recém-nascidos obtida por pletismografia por deslocamento de ar (PEA POD®, USA). Para análise estatística, utilizou-se análise de regressão linear múltipla e coeficiente de correlação de Spearman. Valores de p <0,05 foram considerados significantes. Resultados - As médias das concentrações de vitamina D da mãe e do cordão umbilical foram de 30,16 (DP=21,16) ng/mL e 9,56 (DP=7,25) ng/mL, respectivamente. As médias das porcentagens de massa gorda das mães e dos recém-nascidos foram de 32,32 (DP=7,74) por cento e 8,55 (DP=4,37) por cento , respectivamente. Foi observada relação positiva entre concentração de vitamina D materna e do cordão umbilical (r=0,210; p<0,04). Não foi observada associação entre adiposidade do recém-nascido e concentração de vitamina D do cordão umbilical, nem entre adiposidade materna e concentrações de vitamina D materna e do cordão umbilical. Conclusão Neste estudo, original na literatura internacional, foi utilizado método de referência, validado, de alta precisão e imparcial na estimativa do percentual de gordura neonatal, nem sempre utilizado em outros estudos. Foi observada relação positiva entre concentração de vitamina D materna e do cordão umbilical. A ausência de associação entre as variáveis analisadas pode ser devido à alta prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade entre as gestantes, baixas concentrações de vitamina D nas gestantes e recém-nascidos, alteração do metabolismo da vitamina D e da composição corporal no período da gestação e imaturidade do processo de sequestro da vitamina D pelo tecido adiposo 1 neonatal. Torna-se relevante o desenvolvimento de estudos prospectivos do tipo coorte para avaliar desde o início da gestação a influência da adiposidaidade materna nas concentrações de vitamina D materna e do cordão umbilical.

Riders up! /

Lil' ol' red stocking -- Shooting star -- Star of Israel -- When Johnny comes marching home -- The Christmas handicap --Oh, Susanna! -- Mud and ninety-five -- Thoroughbreds -- The king of the Also-rans -- The empty stall.

The prince /

"The life of Sir Thomas More [by William Roper]": p. 93-141.

The prince,

At head of title: The five-foot shelf of books.

Planning and evaluation of Business English course in compliance with internationalization in Taiwan: A case study of Tainan Women's College of Arts & Technology

In compliance with the economic internationalization movement and the development of Asia-Pacific Regional Operation Center (APROC) in Taiwan, international business has become more and more important. To sustain favorable trade balances every year and the promotion of APROC in Taiwan, more and more talent with knowledge and skills of Business English are needed. As a consequence, it is necessary to make Business English curriculum appropriate to meet the emerging needs.^ Two groups, experimental and control, received the revised or traditional Business English course to answer the question, "Does the Business English curriculum at Tainan Woman's College of Arts & Technology (TWCAT) meet the needs of students?" Ninety-five subjects were randomly selected from the commercial departments at TWCAT and then randomly assigned to the two groups. In addition, the Business English scores of the subjects' previous semester were collected and analyzed to justify the random selection and assignment. The finding was that their initial equivalence was proved.^ A questionnaire for students and another one for the business community were administered to facilitate data collection and analysis. The results of the questionnaires were used to modify the curriculum content of Business English.^ A final-term examination was given to the subjects at the end of the pilot study of Business English in early May of 1998. The resulting scores of the examination were used to determine if there was a significant difference in learning achievement between the students of the two groups.^ Using Independent Samples Test, significant results indicated that the experimental group had higher level of learning Business English than the control group. The finding supports the hypothesis of this study.^ Recommendations based on these results are that the revised curriculum be adapted and used by TWCAT because it better meets student needs. ^

Effective energy conservation and management in the building sector : the answer to the energy predicament

Modern civilization has developed principally through man's harnessing of forces. For centuries man had to rely on wind, water and animal force as principal sources of power. The advent of the industrial revolution, electrification and the development of new technologies led to the application of wood, coal, gas, petroleum, and uranium to fuel new industries, produce goods and means of transportation, and generate the electrical energy which has become such an integral part of our lives. The geometric growth in energy consumption, coupled with the world's unrestricted growth in population, has caused a disproportionate use of these limited natural resources. The resulting energy predicament could have serious consequences within the next half century unless we commit ourselves to the philosophy of effective energy conservation and management. National legislation, along with the initiative of private industry and growing interest in the private sector has played a major role in stimulating the adoption of energy-conserving laws, technologies, measures, and practices. It is a matter of serious concern in the United States, where ninety-five percent of the commercial and industrial facilities which will be standing in the year 2000 - many in need of retrofit - are currently in place. To conserve energy, it is crucial to first understand how a facility consumes energy, how its users' needs are met, and how all internal and external elements interrelate. To this purpose, the major thrust of this report will be to emphasize the need to develop an energy conservation plan that incorporates energy auditing and surveying techniques. Numerous energy-saving measures and practices will be presented ranging from simple no-cost opportunities to capital intensive investments.

The effects of biofeedback on the occurrence of urinary incontinence in patients following radical retropubic prostatectomy

Postprostatectomy incontinence can create a significant barrier to the attainment of optimal social and physical functioning postoperatively. The objective of this retrospective, descriptive study was to determine the effect of biofeedback on the incidence of urinary incontinence in men status post radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP). All patients of a urologic practice who had a biofeedback session preoperatively, and two sessions postoperatively, were sent a survey to complete. Correlational analysis concluded that there was no significance (p > .05) between a subject's age, educational level, or adherence to biofeedback therapy, and their level of postprostatectomy incontinence. Of those subjects who participated (n = 46), 35% reported their urinary control as excellent, 50% reported good results, and 15% reported fair results. No subjects reported poor urinary control. Ninety-five percent of subjects said they would recommend the biofeedback treatment to a friend, and 88% felt that biofeedback had helped them attain their present level of urinary control.

Ansiedade social e cooperação em contexto de hierarquia social

The Ultimatum Game is a methodology of the Game Theory that intends to investigate the individuals cooperative behavior in situations of resources division. Studies have shown that half of the subjects don’t accept unfair division of resources, and prefer to bear a momentary cost to revenge the deceivers. However, people who have assertiveness impairment, such as social phobic individuals, could have some difficulties to reject unfair offer division resource, especially in situations that cause over anxiety, like being in the presence of an individual considered to be in a high hierarchical level. A negative perception about his own worth can also make the person thinks that he does not deserve a fair division. These individuals also have a strong desire to convey a positive impression to the others, which could cause them to be more generous in a resource division. The aim of this study was to verify, through the Ultimatum Game, if social anxiety individuals would accept more high confederate’s unfair offers that low confederate’s unfair offers; and if they would be more generous in goods division, in the same game, when compared to individuals without social anxiety. Ninety-five (95) college students participated in this study answering the Social Phobia Inventory, the Factorial Scale of Extroversion, socio-demographic questionnaire, situational anxiety scale and, finally, the Ultimatum Game in four rounds (1st and 3rd – confederate representing high or low ranking using an unfair proposal; 2nd – confederate without social status using fair proposal; 4th – subject’s research proposes the offer). The results showed a significant negative correlation between social anxiety and haughtiness, and social anxiety and assertiveness, and a significant positive correlation between social anxiety and situational anxiety. There was no significant difference in situational anxiety due to the status for anxious individuals. Also we found no significant difference in the amount of donated goods, showing that generous behavior does not differ between groups. Finally, the social status did not influence the decision in response to the game for anxious individuals. These results corroborate to other studies that show the relationship between social anxiety and assertiveness, and social anxiety and negative self-perception capability and value (low haughtiness). As show the results of situational anxiety scale, the high status stimulus was not perceived as threatening to the individual, which may have affected his answer in the game. The results for the Ultimatum Game follow the same direction as the acceptance rate for unfair proposals (approximately 50%) in studies with non-clinical sample.

Ansiedade social e cooperação em contexto de hierarquia social

The Ultimatum Game is a methodology of the Game Theory that intends to investigate the individuals cooperative behavior in situations of resources division. Studies have shown that half of the subjects don’t accept unfair division of resources, and prefer to bear a momentary cost to revenge the deceivers. However, people who have assertiveness impairment, such as social phobic individuals, could have some difficulties to reject unfair offer division resource, especially in situations that cause over anxiety, like being in the presence of an individual considered to be in a high hierarchical level. A negative perception about his own worth can also make the person thinks that he does not deserve a fair division. These individuals also have a strong desire to convey a positive impression to the others, which could cause them to be more generous in a resource division. The aim of this study was to verify, through the Ultimatum Game, if social anxiety individuals would accept more high confederate’s unfair offers that low confederate’s unfair offers; and if they would be more generous in goods division, in the same game, when compared to individuals without social anxiety. Ninety-five (95) college students participated in this study answering the Social Phobia Inventory, the Factorial Scale of Extroversion, socio-demographic questionnaire, situational anxiety scale and, finally, the Ultimatum Game in four rounds (1st and 3rd – confederate representing high or low ranking using an unfair proposal; 2nd – confederate without social status using fair proposal; 4th – subject’s research proposes the offer). The results showed a significant negative correlation between social anxiety and haughtiness, and social anxiety and assertiveness, and a significant positive correlation between social anxiety and situational anxiety. There was no significant difference in situational anxiety due to the status for anxious individuals. Also we found no significant difference in the amount of donated goods, showing that generous behavior does not differ between groups. Finally, the social status did not influence the decision in response to the game for anxious individuals. These results corroborate to other studies that show the relationship between social anxiety and assertiveness, and social anxiety and negative self-perception capability and value (low haughtiness). As show the results of situational anxiety scale, the high status stimulus was not perceived as threatening to the individual, which may have affected his answer in the game. The results for the Ultimatum Game follow the same direction as the acceptance rate for unfair proposals (approximately 50%) in studies with non-clinical sample.

Physical activity in the school setting: cognitive performance is not affected by three different types of acute exercise

Recent studies indicate that a single bout of physical exercise can have immediatepositive effects on cognitive performance of children and adolescents. However, thetype of exercise that affects cognitive performance the most in young adolescents isnot fully understood. Therefore, this controlled study examined the acute effects ofthree types of 12-min classroom-based exercise sessions on information processingspeed and selective attention. The three conditions consisted of aerobic, coordination,and strength exercises, respectively. In particular, this study focused on the feasibilityand efficiency of introducing short bouts of exercise in the classroom. One hundredand ninety five students (5th and 6th grade; 10–13 years old) participated in a doublebaseline within-subjects design, with students acting as their own control. Exercise typewas randomly assigned to each class and acted as between-subject factor. Before andimmediately after both the control and the exercise session, students performed twocognitive tests that measured information processing speed (Letter Digit SubstitutionTest) and selective attention (d2 Test of Attention). The results revealed that exercisingat low to moderate intensity does not have an effect on the cognitive parameters testedin young adolescents. Furthermore, there were no differential effects of exercise type.The results of this study are discussed in terms of the caution which should be takenwhen conducting exercise sessions in a classroom setting aimed at improving cognitive performance.

The effect of metoclopramide in capsule enteroscopy

Clinical utility of prokinetics in capsule endoscopy (CE) is not clearly established. The objective of this prospective, randomized, single-blind, controlled trial was to determine if metoclopramide is useful in CE by increasing the rate of complete enteroscopy. Ninety-five patients referred for CE were randomized to no metoclopramide (group B, n = 48) or 10 mg metoclopramide (group A, n = 47). Complete enteroscopy was possible in 38 patients of group A (80.9%) and 37 of group B (77.1%) (P = 0.422) with two cases of gastric retention in group B (4.2%; P = 0.253). Median gastric transit time was 26 min (1-211) in group A and 28 min (4-200) in group B (P = 0.511). Mean small bowel transit time, calculated after excluding 20 patients with incomplete enteroscopy, was similar in both groups (221.2 +/- 89 min vs. 256 +/- 82.2 min; P = 0.083). There were also no differences in the total number of findings (group A 4.5 +/- 4.7; group B 4.7 +/- 3.7, P = 0.815). Administration of 10 mg metoclopramide orally 15 min before capsule ingestion did not significantly increase the rate of total enteroscopies and had no effect on transit times. It also did not modify CE diagnostic yield.

Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma: prognostic factors and outcome in 113 patients. A European Musculoskeletal Oncology Society study

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma (MCS) is a distinct, very rare sarcoma with little evidence supporting treatment recommendations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Specialist centres collaborated to report prognostic factors and outcome for 113 patients. RESULTS: Median age was 30 years (range: 11-80), male/female ratio 1.1. Primary sites were extremities (40%), trunk (47%) and head and neck (13%), 41 arising primarily in soft tissue. Seventeen patients had metastases at diagnosis. Mean follow-up was 14.9 years (range: 1-34), median overall survival (OS) 17 years (95% confidence interval (CI): 10.3-28.6). Ninety-five of 96 patients with localised disease underwent surgery, 54 additionally received combination chemotherapy. Sixty-five of 95 patients are alive and 45 progression-free (5 local recurrence, 34 distant metastases, 11 combined). Median progression-free survival (PFS) and OS were 7 (95% CI: 3.03-10.96) and 20 (95% CI: 12.63-27.36) years respectively. Chemotherapy administration in patients with localised disease was associated with reduced risk of recurrence (P=0.046; hazard ratio (HR)=0.482 95% CI: 0.213-0.996) and death (P=0.004; HR=0.445 95% CI: 0.256-0.774). Clear resection margins predicted less frequent local recurrence (2% versus 27%; P=0.002). Primary site and origin did not influence survival. The absence of metastases at diagnosis was associated with a significantly better outcome (P<0.0001). Data on radiotherapy indications, dose and fractionation were insufficiently complete, to allow comment of its impact on outcomes. Median OS for patients with metastases at presentation was 3 years (95% CI: 0-4.25). CONCLUSIONS: Prognosis in MCS varies considerably. Metastatic disease at diagnosis has the strongest impact on survival. Complete resection and adjuvant chemotherapy should be considered as standard of care for localised disease.

Proteomic analysis of Rhizobium freirei PRF 81 responses to low pH.

Rhizobium freirei PRF 81 is employed in common bean commercial inoculants in Brazil, due to its outstanding efficiency in fixing nitrogen, competitiveness and tolerance to abiotic stresses. Among the environmental conditions faced by rhizobia in soils, acidity is perhaps the encountered most, especially in Brazil. So, we used proteomics based approaches to study the responses of PRF 81 to a low pH condition. R. freirei PRF 81 was grown in TY medium until exponential phase in two treatments: pH 6,8 and pH 4,8. Whole-cell proteins were extracted and separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, using IPG-strips with pH range 4-7 and 12% polyacrilamide gels. The experiment was performed in triplicate. Protein spots were detected in the high-resolution digitized gel images and analyzed by Image Master 2D Platinum v 5.0 software. Relative volumes (%vol) of compared between the two conditions tested and were statistically evaluated (p ≤ 0.05). Even knowing that R. freirei PRF 81 can still grow in more acid conditions, pH 4.8 was chosen because didn´t affect significantly the bacterial growth kinetics, a factor that could compromise the analysis. Using a narrow pH range, the gel profiles displayed a better resolution and reprodutibility than using broader pH range. Spots were mostly concentrated between pH 5-7 and molecular masses between 17-95 kDa. From the six hundred well-defined spots analyzed, one hundred and sixty-three spots presented a significant change in % vol, indicating that the pH led to expressive changes in the proteome of R. freirei PRF 81. Of these, sixty-one were up-regulated and one hundred two was downregulated in pH 4.8 condition. Also, fourteen spots were only identified in the acid condition, while seven spots was exclusively detected in pH 6.8. Ninety-five differentially expressed spots and two exclusively detected in pH 4,8 were selected for Maldi-Tof identification. Together with the genome sequencing and the proteome analysis of heat stress, we will search for molecular determinants of PRF 81 related to capacity to adapt to stressful tropical conditions.