11C-Methionine Positron Emission Tomographic Imaging of Biologic Activity of a Recurrent Glioblastoma Treated with Stereotaxy-guided Laser-induced Interstitial Thermotherapy

AbstractIn patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), local minimally invasive treatment modalities have gained increasing interest recently because they are associated with fewer side effects than open surgery. For example, local tumor coagulation by laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy (LITT) is such a minimally invasive technique. We monitored the metabolic effects of stereotaxy-guided LITT in a patient with a recurrent GBM using amino acid positron emission tomography (PET). Serial 11C-methyl-l-methionine positron emission tomography (MET-PET) and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) were performed using a hybrid PET/CT system in a patient with recurrent GBM before and after LITT. To monitor the biologic activity of the effects of stereotaxy-guided LITT, a threshold-based volume of interest analysis of the metabolically active tumor volume (MET uptake index of ≥ 1.3) was performed. A continuous decline in metabolically active tumor volume after LITT could be observed. MET-PET seems to be useful for monitoring the short-term therapeutic effects of LITT, especially when patients have been pretreated with a multistep therapeutic regimen. MET-PET seems to be an appropriate tool to monitor and guide experimental LITT regimens and should be studied in a larger patient group to confirm its clinical value.     

Genome-wide MicroRNA Expression Profiles in COPD: Early Predictors for Cancer Development

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) significantly increases the risk of developing cancer. Biomarker studies frequently follow a case-control set-up in which patients diagnosed with a disease are compared to controls. Longitudinal cohort studies such as the COPD-centered German COPD and SYstemic consequences-COmorbidities NETwork(COSYCONET) study provide the patient and biomaterial base for discovering predictive molecular markers. We asked whether microRNA(miRNA) profiles in blood collected from COPD patients prior to a tumor diagnosis could support an early diagnosis of tumor development independent of the tumor type. From 2741 participants of COSYCONET diagnosed with COPD, we selected 534 individuals including 33 patients who developed cancer during the follow-up period of 54 months and 501 patients who did not develop cancer, but had similar age, gender and smoking history. Genome-wide miRNA profiles were generated and evaluated using machine learning techniques. For patients developing cancer we identified nine miRNAs with significantly decreased abundance(two-tailed unpaired t-test adjusted for multiple testing P 0.05), including members of the miR-320 family. The identified mi RNAs regulate different cancer-related pathways including the MAPK pathway(P = 2.3 x 10~(-5)). We also observed the impact of confounding factors on the generated miRNA profiles, underlining the value of our matched analysis. For selected miRNAs, qRT-PCR analysis was applied to validate the results. In conclusion, we identified several miRNAs in blood of COPD patients, which could serve as candidates for biomarkers to help identify COPD patients at risk of developing cancer.     

Healthcare Failure Mode and Effects Analysis Under Fuzziness

Failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) is a step-by-step approach for identifying all possible failures in a design, a manufacturing or assembly process, or a product or service. The purpose of the FMEA is to take actions to eliminate or reduce failures, starting with the highest-priority ones. This article presents a basis for prioritizing the healthcare problems using FMEA with linguistic variables and fuzzy if–then rules. Severity rating of healthcare problems is handled under the categories of catastrophic, major, moderate, and minor events. MATLAB 2007 is used to obtain the results of fuzzy if–then rules for prioritizing healthcare failures. A numerical example is given for four possible healthcare problems to be prioritized, which are wrong patient, delay in therapy, wrong analgesic selection, and wrong drug.     

Mericarp morphology and its systematic implications for the genus Salvia L. section Hymenosphace Benth. (Lamiaceae) in Turkey

Mericarp morphology of 15 taxa of Salvia L. section Hymenosphace Benth. in Turkey were investigated by light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to evaluate the utility of mericarp characters in systematic studies. Mericarps ranged from 2.50 to 5.38?mm in length and 2.04 to 4.70?mm in width. Mericarp shape was prolate-spheroid or near spherical with a length-to-width ratio of 1.02?C1.48. Transverse sections of the mericarps were rounded or rounded-trigonous. Mericarp surfaces presented colliculate, reticulate, verrucate or foveate sculpturing patterns, mostly as a result of the sculpturing of the exocarp cell walls with the pattern determined by whether the periclinal walls were concave or convex and whether the anticlinal walls were raised or sunken. Colliculate surface sculpturing (periclinal walls convex) was the most common among the taxa examined. The variation in the nature of surface sculpturing, mericarp shape and size, exocarp cell shape, nature of transverse sections and abscission scar diameter proved useful diagnostic characters. Variation was sufficient to distinguish taxa at species level, including morphologically similar species. Data provided here are also relevant to phylogenetic questions at higher levels within Salvia.     

Preparation and characterization of UV-curable polymeric support for covalent immobilization of xylanase enzyme

The hydroxyl group of poly(ethylene glycol) monoacrylate (PEGMA) was activated by 1,1′-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) and then a xylanase enzyme was immobilized to amine active PEGMA. UV-curable polymeric support formulation was prepared by mixing the xylanase bonded PEGMA, aliphatic polyester, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and photoinitiator. After UV irradiation, the enzymatic activity of the polymeric matrix was evaluated and compared with the corresponding free enzyme. By immobilization, the temperature resistance of the enzyme was improved and showed maximum activity at 60 °C. pH dependent activities of the free and immobilized enzymes were also investigated, and it was found that the pH of maximum activity for the free enzyme was 6.0, while for the optimal pH of the immobilized enzyme was 6.5. The immobilized enzyme retained 75% of its activity after 33 runs. The morphology of the polymeric support was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) coupled with SEM was used to explore the chemical composition. The results have confirmed the evidence of enzyme in the structure of the polymeric material.     

Effect of spent cotton stalks on color removal and chemical oxygen demand lowering in olive oil mill wastewater by white rot fungi

Wastewater from olive oil mill was decolorized (and its chemical oxygen demand reduced in static cultivation) using the fungiCoriolus versicolor, Funalia trogii, Phanerochœte chrysosporium andPleurotus sajor-caju. The effect of cotton stalk on decolorizing and COD removing capability was demonstrated.P. chrysosporium (in 20% medium with cotton stalk) reduced the COD by 48% and color by 58%,F. trogii (in 30% medium with cotton stalk) by 51 and 55%, respectively.     

Studies on the effects of x-ray on erythrocyte zinc and copper concentrations in rabbits after treatment with antioxidants

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of supplemental antioxidant vitamins and minerals on the erythrocyte concentrations of zinc and copper in rabbits after exposure to X-rays. The animals were divided into two experimental and one control group (CG). The first group (VG) was given daily oral doses of vitamins E and C; supplemental amounts of managanese, zinc, and copper were mixed with the feed and given to the second group of experimental animals (MG). Blood samples were taken from all groups before and after 4 wk of vitamin and mineral administration and after irradiation with a total dose of 550-rad X-rays. The administration of minerals caused the most significant increases of Zn and Cu. Even after irradiation, the zinc levels in the irradiated animals were higher than in the nonirradiated vitamin-supplemented animals (p<0.05). The results suggest that supplementation with antioxidant vitamins and minerals may have a protective effect against X-ray-induced damage.     

MIB-1 counting methods in meningiomas and agreement among pathologists

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation of MIB-1 labeling index (LI) obtained by 2 counting methods with histologic grade and investigate interobserver variability between these methods. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 65 meningiomas were analyzed for proliferation with 2 counting methods by 2 pathologists using MIB-1 antibody. In the first method, the most densely staining areas were counted (HL method). In the second method, randomly selected areas were counted (RS method). RESULTS: MIB-1 values correlated well with histologic grade in both methods. As expected, the tumors with recurrence had significantly higher LIs than the nonrecurrent tumors in each method. However, there was a statistically significant difference in the mean MIB-1 values of between the HL and RS methods. When MIB-1 LI was compared between 2 pathologists, perfect agreement in the HL method and substantial agreement in the RS method were achieved. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that values of MIB LIs differ with different counting methods. Nonetheless, both methods showed good correlation with World Health Organization grades. Therefore standardization of 1 counting method is of great importance for determining a reliable and specific cutoff value in assessing the risk of recurrence in meningiomas.