Accuracy evaluation of image registration and segmentation tools used in conformal treatment planning of prostate cancer.

Segmentation and registration tools are commonly used in radiotherapy for target and at risk organs localisation. In this work the performances of three different segmentation tools and of a surface matching registration technique, used on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) images for the treatment planning of conformal prostate carcinoma, are studied. The accuracy of the segmentation and registration tools was evaluated by phantom experiment and on patient data, respectively. A preliminary estimate of MR image distortion was also performed.     

Sources of cortical rhythms change as a function of cognitive impairment in pathological aging: a multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: The present study tested the hypothesis that cortical electroencephalographic (EEG) rhythms. change across normal elderly (Nold), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD) subjects as a function of the global cognitive level. METHODS: Resting eyes-closed EEG data were recorded in 155 MCI, 193 mild AD, and 126 age-matched Nold subjects. EEG rhythms of interest were delta (2-4 Hz), theta (4-8 Hz), alpha 1 (8-10.5 Hz), alpha 2 (10.5-13 Hz), beta 1 (13-20 Hz), and beta 2 (20-30 Hz). EEG cortical sources were estimated by LORETA. RESULTS: Occipital delta and alpha 1 sources in parietal, occipital, temporal, and 'limbic' areas had an intermediate magnitude in MCI subjects compared to mild AD and Nold subjects. These five EEG sources presented both linear and nonlinear (linear, exponential, logarithmic, and power) correlations with the global cognitive level (as revealed by mini mental state examination score) across all subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Cortical EEG rhythms change in pathological aging as a function of the global cognitive level. SIGNIFICANCE: The present functional data on large populations support the 'transitional hypothesis' of a shadow zone across normality, pre-clinical stage of dementia (MCI), and AD.     

Free copper and resting temporal EEG rhythms correlate across healthy, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease subjects.

OBJECTIVE: The present study tested the hypothesis that the serum copper abnormalities were correlated with alterations of resting electroencephalographic (EEG) rhythms across the continuum of healthy elderly (Hold), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD subjects. METHODS: Resting eyes-closed EEG rhythms delta (2-4Hz), theta (4-8Hz), alpha 1 (8-10.5Hz), alpha 2 (10.5-13Hz), beta 1 (13-20Hz), beta 2 (20-30Hz), and gamma (30-40Hz), estimated by LORETA, were recorded in 17 Hold, 19 MCI, 27 AD- (MMSE< or =20), and 27 AD+ (MMSE20) individuals and correlated with copper biological variables. RESULTS: Across the continuum of Hold, MCI and AD subjects, alpha sources in parietal, occipital, and temporal areas were decreased, while the magnitude of the delta and theta EEG sources in parietal, occipital, and temporal areas was increased. The fraction of serum copper unbound to ceruloplasmin positively correlated with temporal and frontal delta sources, regardless of the effects of age, gender, and education. CONCLUSIONS: These results sustain the hypothesis of a toxic component of serum copper that is correlated with functional loss of AD, as revealed by EEG indexes. SIGNIFICANCE: The present study represents the first demonstration that the fraction of serum copper unbound to ceruloplasmin is correlated with cortical delta rhythms across Hold, MCI, and AD subjects, thus unveiling possible relationships among the biological parameter, advanced neurodegenerative processes, and synchronization mechanisms regulating the relative amplitude of selective EEG rhythms.     

Reversal by ribo- and deoxyribonucleosides of dehydroepiandrosterone-induced inhibition of enzyme altered foci in the liver of rats subjected to the initiation-selection process of experimental carcinogenesis

The effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on the activityof NADPH-producing enzymes and the development of enzyme-alteredfoci has been investigated in the liver of female Wistar ratssubjected to an initiating treatment (a necrogenic dose of diethylnitrosaimine)followed, 15 days later, by a selection treatment [a 15-dayfeeding of a diet containing 0.03% 2-acetylamlnofluorene (2-AAF),with a partial hepatectomy at the midpoint of this feeding].At the end of the selection treatment all rat groups received,for 15 days, a basal diet containing, when indicated, 0.05%phenobarbital (PB) and/or 0.6% DHEA. The effect of DHEA on theactivity of NADPH producing enzymes was also studied in normalrats fed, for 15 days, a diet containing 0.6% DHEA and in theirpair-fed controls. DHEA caused a 43–58% inhibition ofglucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and, respectively,338–420% and 21–24% increases in malic enzyme (ME)and isocitric dehydrogenase activities in all rat groups. Thiswas coupled with a great fall in the production of ribulose-5-phosphate,while no change in NADP⁺/NADPH ratio occurred. Hepatocytes,isolated from DHEA-treated rats, exhibited a very low activityof hexose monophosphate shunt (HMS), which was not stimulatedby methylene blue, an exogenous oxidizing agent that markedlystimulated HMS activity in control hepatocytes. DHEA causeda great fall in the percentage of liver occupied by -glutamyltranspeptidase(GGT)-positive foci, in the rats subjected to the initiation- selection treatments. PB enhanced the development of thesefoci, an effect which was completely overcome by DHEA. In addition,focal cells no longer expressed a G6PD activity higher thanthat of surrounding liver in DHEA-treated rats, but exhibiteda high histochemical reaction for ME. DHEA also caused a greatfall in labelling index of GGT-positive foci. Starting at theend of 2-AAF feeding, a mixture of ribonucleosides (RNs) ofadenine, cytosine, guanine and uracil and of deoxyribonucleosides(DRNs) of adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine were injectedi.p. every 8 h for 12 days to the rats subjected to the initiation- selection treatments plus PB. Rats were killed 3 days afterthe end of RN and DRN treatments. These treatments completelyovercome the DHEA effect on the development of GGT-positivefoci and DNA synthesis by the focal cells, without affectingG6PD activity of both whole liver and putative preneoplasticfoci. Experiments with labeled nucleosides revealed that RNsand DRNs produced derivatives that were incorporated into liverDNA. These data indicate that liver of DHEA-treated rats produceenough NADPH for reduction of RNs to DRNs and growth. The antipromotingeffect of DHEA could depend on a relative deficiency of nudeosidesfor DNA synthesis, caused by a great fall in pentose phosphateproduction.     

Administration of tibolone decreases 24 h heart rate but not blood pressure of post-menopausal women

OBJECTIVE: Elevation of blood pressure and heart rate increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Administration of estrogens does not affect heart rate but may decrease 24 h blood pressure. In this study, we tested the effect of the estro-progestogenic compound tibolone. METHODS: Thirty healthy, post-menopausal women were randomized to receive placebo (n = 15) or tibolone, at the commonly prescribed dose of 2.5 mg per day (n = 15). Before and after 6 months of treatment, in each woman blood pressure and heart rate were monitored every 30 min for 41 h by an ambulatory device. Valuable readings were those collected from 8:00 a.m. of the second day to 8:00 a.m. of third day. Analyses were performed of 24 h, day-time (7:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.) and night-time (11:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m.) values. Day to night difference was also calculated. Results: Placebo did not modify 24h, day-time, and night-time blood pressure or heart rate values. Day-night differences were also not affected by placebo. Similarly to placebo, tibolone administration did not modify any of the blood pressure parameters taken into consideration. By contrast, a significant decline of 24 h heart rate (73.2 +/- 2.3 beats/min versus 69.3 +/- 1.7 beats/min; P < 0.0008) was observed. The effect was significant both at day (76.6 +/- 2.4 beats/min versus 72.1 +/- 1.9 beats/min; P < 0.0001) and night (65.8 +/ 2.6 beats/min versus 62.4 +/- 1.9 beats/min; P < 0.05). Day-night blood pressure and heart rate differences were not affected by tibolone. CONCLUSIONS: In post-menopausal women, administration of tibolone does not influence 24 h blood pressure but reduces heart rate.     

Presymptomatic diagnosis of SMA III by genotype analysis

Linkage analysis and prenatal prediction in families segregating autosomal recessive spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) has become feasible since the assignment of the locus responsible for type I-III SMA to region 5q12-q13.3. We have performed a segregation study of SMA in Italian families using molecular probes and highly informative PCR-based polymorphic markers. In one family, a 7-year-old boy affected with type III SMA and an 8-year-old apparently healthy brother had identical haplotypes. These findings prompted us to reexamine the apparently unaffected child. His neurological exam was normal. However, the electromyography (EMG) showed a pattern consistent with chronic SMA. To our knowledge this is the first example of presymptomatic diagnosis of SMA based on genotype analysis. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Kava-Kava administration reduces anxiety in perimenopausal women

OBJECTIVE: Disturbances of mood, such as anxiety and depression, increase in the perimenopausal period. Hormone replacement therapy or neuroactive drugs represent useful treatments for these disturbances but may be contraindicated or not accepted. Herein it was investigated the efficacy of Kava-Kava, an extract of Piper Methysticum, on mood of perimenopausal women. DESIGN: A 3-months randomized prospective open study investigating in perimenopausal women modifications induced by calcium supplementation (control; n=34), calcium plus Kava-Kava at the dose of 100 mg/day (n=15) or calcium plus Kava-Kava at the dose 200 mg/day (n=19). Anxiety was evaluated by the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI); depression by the Zung's scale (SDS), and climacteric symptoms by the Greene's scale. Evaluations were performed at baseline and after 1 and 3 months. RESULTS: In the control group during the 3 months, anxiety, depression and climacteric symptoms tended to decline, but not significantly. During Kava-Kava anxiety declined (P<0.001) at 1 (-3.8+/-1.03) and 3 (-5.03+/-1.2) months, depression declined at 3 months (-5.03+/-1.4; P<0.002) and climacteric score declined (P<0.0006) at 1 (-2.87+/-1.5) and 3 (-5.38+/-1.3) months. Only the decline of anxiety induced by Kava-Kava was significantly greater than that spontaneously occurring in controls (P<0.009). CONCLUSIONS: The present data indicate that, in perimenopausal women, administration of Kava-Kava induces an improvement of mood, particularly of anxiety.