Flow cytometric DNA analysis combined with fine needle aspiration biopsy in the diagnosis of palpable metastases

To determine the diagnostic value of flow cytometric (FCM) DNA analysis in combination with fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy, the nuclear DNA content was analyzed in FNA specimens from 155 superficial metastases and 60 benign lymph nodes. The results of FCM DNA analysis were considered to be positive for malignancy if DNA aneuploidy was found or if more than 12% S+G2M cells were present in the aspirate in diploid cases. The diagnostic accuracy of FCM DNA analysis alone in detecting malignancy was 92%, with a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 95%. FCM suggested the correct diagnosis in 5 of the 7 cytologically false-negative cases and in 9 of the 12 cytologically indeterminate or suspicious cases.     

Long-term microtine dynamics in north Fennoscandian tundra: the vole cycle and the lemming chaos

Densities of microtine rodents in two habitat complexes in the tundra of Finnmarks-vidda, Norwegian Lapland, were studied during 1977-89 by means of snap trapping (Small Quadrat Method) Predator populations were studied by mapping breeding raptors and by snow-tracking small mustelids During 1977-85, snow-trackmg was conducted only during peak and decline years, whereas during 1986-89, snow-tracking was conducted every winter (November-December) and live-trapping (in August) was used as an additional method
Lowland vole populations had regular density fluctuations with peaks in 1978-79. 1982-84 and 1987-88 Highland vole populations fluctuated less regularly and at lower over-all densities Highland lemming populations had two outbreaks, in 1978 and 1988, ending in abrupt winter crashes In the lowland, outbreak levels were reached only in 1978 All microtine declines in relatively productive lowland habitats were accompanied by intense activity of small mustelids. whereas avian predators were common only in 1983 Lowland declines also showed clear between-habitat asynchrony they started in areas with an exceptional abundance of productive habitats and then spread to more barren areas These lowland data are consistent with the hypothesis of a mustelid-microtine limit cycle, although also several other hypotheses remain unrefuted The highland lemming data suggest a simple exploiter-victim interaction between lemmings and the vegetation     

Habitat use of small mustelids in north Fennoscandian tundra: a test of the hypothesis of patchy exploitation ecosystems

The habitat use of small mustelids in a tundra area in Norwegian Lapland was studied chiefly by means of snow-tracking 1986-89 Stoats showed strong peference to a habitat complex immediately beneath the thrust line of the Scandes, with exceptional abundance of luxuriant habitats, whereas weasel activity was more evenly spread over the lowland tundra Mustelid activity on the high tundra above the thrust line was consistently low Within each subarea. stoat activity was concentrated to the most luxuriant habitats Similar preferences were shown by weasels on the lowland but not in the vicinity of the thurst cliff Daily movements of both species varied from local (c 200 m) to extensive (up to 4 km), no consistent interspecific differences in travel distances could be observed
The results largely conform to the hypothesis of patchy exploitation ecosystems (T Oksanen 1990a), according to which predator activity tends to "spill over' from luxuriant habitats, capable of supporting predator populations, to adjacent barren ones, due to despotic behavior within and between species and due to opportunistic predation by transient predators However, predator activity in barren habitats during the crash winter could not be explained by these mechanisms alone A third mechanism - breakdown of habitat preferences of predators during crash phases of a cyclic prey population - was thus introduced     

Progesterone receptor concentration differences in the chick oviduct cells and apparent down-regulation by ligand. A semiquantitative immunohistochemical study

A semiquantitative immunohistochemical technique was developed for identification of chick progesterone receptor (PR). The mouse monoclonal antibody PR6 was used. The nuclear PR concentration was analyzed with Leitz Orthoplan MPV-3 light microscope. The target tissue was chick oviduct, with epithelial, glandular, mesenchymal, smooth muscle and peritoneal cells analyzed separately. PR concentration varied between different cell types and also from cell to cell within a single cell type. A significant decrease of PR concentration, as noted by decrease in staining, was also observed in all studied cell types, 6 h after a single injection of progesterone. This technique allows for histological identification of biochemical events that should help lead to the understanding of the role of PR changes in a variety of experimental situations.     

Evidence for false aneuploid peaks in flow cytometric analysis of paraffin-embedded tissue

It has recently been shown that bimodal histograms with false aneuploid peaks may be obtained by DNA flow cytometry from histologically normal tissue allowed to autolyze. To investigate if such peaks can be generated from surgically excised archival tissue, 198 paraffin blocks from 179 patients containing histologically normal spleen (n = 65), liver (n = 26), thyroid (n = 32), pancreas (n = 19), salivary gland (n = 49), or lymph node tissue (n = 7), obtained from the archives of two university pathology departments, were analyzed for nuclear DNA content. The great majority (n = 160, 83.8%) of the 191 interpretable histograms had a single symmetrical G1 peak; and 8 histograms, all produced from liver tissue had a tetraploid pattern. A slight or a prominent repeatable deviation in the G1 peak outline was present in 14 (7.3%) cases. A peak resembling an aneuploid G1 peak with a DNA index (DI) ranging from 1.14 to 1.38 was repeatedly produced from 9 (4.7%) blocks containing histologically normal or inflamed splenic (n = 3), pancreatic (n = 3), liver (n = 1), thyroid (n = 1), or lymph node (n = 1) tissue. The three abnormal peaks produced from pancreatic tissue were rounded in shape and resembled closely the ones that can be obtained from autolytic pancreatic tissue, and the six remaining extra peaks were all fused with the "diploid" peak. In conclusion, false peaks, probably caused by degradation of the nuclear contents during formalin fixation or before it, may rarely be obtained from surgical paraffin-embedded samples.     

Cholinergic signaling in the rat pineal gland

Summary 1. Innervation of the mammalian pineal gland is mainly sympathetic. Pineal synthesis of melatonin and its levels in the circulation are thought to be under strict adrenergic control of serotoninN-acetyltransferase (NAT). In addition, several putative pineal neurotransmitters modulate melatonin synthesis and secretion.2. In this review, we summarize what is currently known on the pineal cholinergic system. Cholinergic signaling in the rat pineal gland is suggested based on the localization of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), as well as muscarinic and nicotinic ACh binding sites in the gland.3. A functional role of ACh may be regulation of pineal synaptic ribbon numbers and modulation of melatonin secretion, events possibly mediated by phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis and activation of protein kinase C via muscarinic ACh receptors (mAChRs).4. We also present previously unpublished data obtained using primary cultures of rat pinealocytes in an attempt to get more direct information on the effects of cholinergic stimulus on pinealocyte melatonin secretion. These studies revealed that the cholinergic effects on melatonin release are restricted mainly to intact pineal glands since they were not readily detected in primary pinealocyte cultures.     

Using the ecosystem services approach for better planning and conservation of urban green spaces: a Finland case study

Ecosystem services are vital for humans in urban regions. However, urban development poses a great risk for the ability of ecosystems to provide these services. In this paper we first address the most important ecosystem services in functional urban regions in Finland. Well accessible and good quality recreational ecosystem services, for example, provided by urban nature, are an important part of a high-quality living environment and important for public health. Vegetation of urban regions can have a role in carbon dioxide sequestration and thus in climate change mitigation. For instance, estimates of carbon sinks can be compared to total CO₂ emissions of an urban region, and the municipality can aim at both increasing carbon sinks and decreasing CO₂ emissions with proper land-use planning. Large and contiguous core nature areas, smaller green areas and ecological connections between them are the essence of regional ecological networks and are essential for maintaining interconnected habitats for species and thus biological diversity. Thus, both local and regional level ecological networks are vital for maintaining ecosystem services in urban regions. The impacts of climate change coupled with land-use and land cover change will bring serious challenges for maintaining ecosystem services in urban areas. Although not yet widely used in planning practices, the ecosystem services approach can provide an opportunity for land-use planning to develop ecologically sustainable urban regions. Currently, information on ecosystem services of urban regions is lacking and there is a need to improve the knowledge base for land-use planning.