Dielectric properties of a liquid crystalline siloxane copolymer

An investigation on the molecular dynamics of a liquid crystalline side chain polymer using the dielectric relaxation method on oriented samples in the frequency range of 0,1 to 10 000 kHz is presented. The compound under investigation is a polysiloxane copolymer with two different mesogenic side chains and a phase sequence glassy-smectic A-nematic-isotropic. Three main relaxation processes are found and assigned to the rotation of the side chains around the main chain, the glass transition process coupled with side chain motions, and a local motion in the glassy state, respectively. Evidence is found for a layered arrangement of the polymer main chain in the smectic phase and for a parallel correlation between the transverse components of the dipole moments.     

Severe calcification in left main stem coronary artery stenosis visible on routine chest radiograph

Coronary calcification is a strong predictor of significant coronary stenosis in symptomatic patients. While discrete calcification within coronary arteries is only detected by sensitive methods such as computed tomography, severe calcification can already be seen on the plain chest radiograph. In this article, we describe a patient with a high grade left main stem coronary artery stenosis who presented with a severe focal calcification on the plain chest radiograph in projection of the offspring of the left coronary artery.     

Immunological characterization and localization of the Na+/Ca2(+)-exchanger in bovine retina

The sodium/calcium exchanger was purified from bovine retinal rod outer segment membranes and used for the immunization of New Zealand White rabbits. A polyclonal antibody was produced which was found to bind specifically to the 230 kDa Na+/Ca2(+)-exchanger protein as assessed by Western blotting. The antibody did not bind to the high-molecular-weight "rim protein," thereby demonstrating that this protein is distinct from the rod outer segment of Na+/Ca2(+)-exchanger. We used the polyclonal antibody for immunohistochemically localizing the exchange protein in bovine retina. Fluorescent light microscopy revealed intensive immunolabeling of the photoreceptor outer segments, whereas other retinal cell layers exhibited minimal binding. Using the electron microscopic immunogold method, we found specific antibody binding to the extracellular side of rod outer segment plasma membrane. Rod disk membranes, rod inner segments, and cone photoreceptors displayed no significant labeling. We therefore conclude that the Na+/Ca2(+)-exchanger is localized primarily in the rod outer segment plasma membrane, the most appropriate localization considering its proposed role in the process of vertebrate phototransduction.     

Palliative chemo-radiotherapy with ifosfamide and epirubicin as first-line treatment for high-risk metastatic breast cancer Results of a prospective multicenter trial

From June 1986 to December 1988, 107 patients (median age, 49 years; median performance score, 1) with haematogeneous metastases from breast carcinoma were treated with concomitant radiation and chemotherapy. Overall, 97% of the patients had been pretreated with surgery; 65%, with radiation; and 56%, with hormones. In all, 38% had received adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients with prior palliative chemotherapy were excluded from the study. All patients fulfilled at least two high-risk criteria. Chemotherapy was given according to the EI protocol (4-epirubicin and ifosfamide), and all patients simultaneously received radiation to the main tumor sites. Gastro-intestinal toxicity was moderate (11.1%, WHO grade 4), and bone marrow depression was marked in all cases. After three treatment courses, the overall response rate was 67% [21% complete response (CR), 46% partial response (PR)]. In all, 28% had stable disease (NC) and the rate of progressive disease (PD) was 5%. The median duration of tumour response was 8 months, with 12 months for CRs, 9 months for PRs and 6 months for NCs. The median survival was 13.5 months.Presented at the Satellite Symposium Ifosfamide in Gynecological Tumors of the 5th European Conference on Clinical Oncology and Cancer Nursing', London, September 3–7, 1989     

Practice effects with the NIMH AIDS abbreviated neuropsychological battery.

The degree of practice effects with the Brief NIMH Neuropsychological Battery for HIV Infection and AIDS is reported using a 7-10 day test-retest interval. The patient groups were asymptomatic and symptomatic of HIV while the control group was made up of "at risk" volunteers. Statistically significant practice effects were obtained on the California Verbal Learning Test, the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task and the Visual Search Test among the infected individuals. The controls subjects demonstrated statistically significant practice effects on all of the neuropsychological tests. The implications of these findings in prospective studies are discussed.     

Results of cüppers "fadenoperation" (author's transl)]

The so called "Fadenoperation" Cüppers was performed in 233 patients = 40% of the cases who had been treated by muscle surgery at the University Eye Clinic Hamburg in 1975. The results in the different indication groups are presented. The most frequent indications are: Increased objective squint angle during near fixation, incomitant binocular movements in the horizontal plane, unstabile objective angles, nystagmus compensation (block-) syndrome, variation of Kestenbaum's nystagmusoperation. The result in 2/3 of the cases was satisfying, further surgery being not necessary.     

SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Paraguay: Detection and Surveillance with an Economical and Scalable Molecular Protocol

SARS-CoV-2 variant detection relies on resource-intensive whole-genome sequencing methods. We sought to develop a scalable protocol for variant detection and surveillance in Paraguay, pairing rRT-PCR for spike mutations with Nanopore sequencing. A total of 201 acute-phase nasopharyngeal samples were included. Samples were positive for the SARS-CoV-2 N2 target and tested with the Spike SNP assay to detect mutations associated with the following variants: alpha (501Y), beta/gamma (417variant/484K/501Y), delta (452R/478K), and lambda (452Q/490S). Spike SNP calls were confirmed using amplicon (Sanger) sequencing and whole-genome (Nanopore) sequencing on a subset of samples with confirmed variant lineages. Samples had a mean N2 Ct of 20.8 (SD 5.6); 198/201 samples (98.5%) tested positive in the Spike SNP assay. The most common genotype was 417variant/484K/501Y, detected in 102/198 samples (51.5%), which was consistent with the P.1 lineage (gamma variant) in Paraguay. No mutations (K417 only) were found in 64/198 (32.3%), and K417/484K was identified in 22/198 (11.1%), consistent with P.2 (zeta). Seven samples (3.5%) tested positive for 452R without 478K, and one sample with genotype K417/501Y was confirmed as B.1.1.7 (alpha). The results were confirmed using Sanger sequencing in 181/181 samples, and variant calls were consistent with Nanopore sequencing in 29/29 samples. The Spike SNP assay could improve population-level surveillance for mutations associated with SARS-CoV-2 variants and inform the judicious use of sequencing resources.     

HOXD8 hypermethylation as a fully sensitive and specific biomarker for biliary tract cancer detectable in tissue and bile samples

Background Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are rare but highly aggressive tumours with poor prognosis, usually detected at advanced stages. Herein, we aimed at identifying BTC-specific DNA methylation alterations.Methods Study design included statistical power and sample size estimation. A genome-wide methylation study of an explorative cohort (50 BTC and ten matched non-tumoral tissue samples) has been performed. BTC-specific altered CpG islands were validated in over 180 samples (174 BTCs and 13 non-tumoral controls). The final biomarkers, selected by a machine-learning approach, were validated in independent tissue (18 BTCs, 14 matched non-tumoral samples) and bile (24 BTCs, five non-tumoral samples) replication series, using droplet digital PCR.Results We identified and successfully validated BTC-specific DNA methylation alterations in over 200 BTC samples. The two-biomarker panel, selected by an in-house algorithm, showed an AUC > 0.97. The best-performing biomarker (chr2:176993479-176995557), associated with HOXD8, a pivotal gene in cancer-related pathways, achieved 100% sensitivity and specificity in a new series of tissue and bile samples.Conclusions We identified a novel fully efficient BTC biomarker, associated with HOXD8 gene, detectable both in tissue and bile by a standardised assay ready-to-use in clinical trials also including samples from non-invasive matrices.Subject terms: Diagnostic markers, Biliary tract cancer