Technical performance and diagnostic utility of the new Elecsys (R) neuron-specific enolase enzyme immunoassay

This international multicenter study was designed to evaluate the technical performance of the new double-monoclonal, single-step Elecsys neuron-specific enolase (NSE) enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and to assess its utility as a sensitive and specific test for the diagnosis of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Intra and interassay coefficients of variation, determined in five control or serum specimens in six laboratories, ranged from 0.7 to 5.3 (interlaboratory median: 1.3%) and from 1.3 to 8.5 (interlaboratory median: 3.4%), respectively. Laboratory-to-laboratory comparability was excellent with respect to recovery and interassay coefficients of variation. The test was linear between 0.0 and 320 ng/ml (highest measured concentration). There was a significant correlation between NSE concentrations measured using the Elecsys NSE and the established Cobas Core NSE EIA II in all subjects (n=723) and in patients with lung cancer (n=333). However, NSE concentrations were systematically lower (approximately 9%) with the Elecsys NSE than with the comparison test. Based on a specificity of 95% in comparison with the group suffering from benign lung diseases (n=183), the cutoff value for the discrimination between malignant and benign conditions was set at 21.6 ng/ml. NSE was raised in 73.4% of SCLC patients (n=188) and was significantly higher (p<0.01) in extensive (87.8%) as opposed to limited disease (56.7%). NSE was also elevated in 16.0% of the cases with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC, n=374). It is concluded that the Elecsys NSE EIA is a reliable and accurate diagnostic procedure for the measurement of NSE in serum samples. The special merits of this new assay are the wide measuring range (according to manufacturers declaration up to 370 ng/ml) and a short incubation time of 18 min

Magnetically Controlled Spasmodic Accretion During Star Formation. II. Results

The problem of the late accretion phase of the evolution of an axisymmetric, isothermal magnetic disk surrounding a forming star has been formulated in a companion paper. The "central sink approximation" is used to circumvent the problem of describing the evolution inside the opaque central region for densities greater than 10^11 cm^-3 and radii smaller than a few AUs. Only the electrons are assumed to be attached to the magnetic field lines, and the effects of both negatively and positively charged grains are accounted for. After a mass of 0.1 solar mass accumulates in the central cell (forming star), a series of magnetically driven outflows and associated outward propagating shocks form in a quasi-periodic fashion. As a result, mass accretion onto the protostar occurs in magnetically controlled bursts. We refer to this process as spasmodic accretion. The shocks propagate outward with supermagnetosonic speeds. The period of dissipation and revival of the outflow decreases in time, as the mass accumulated in the central sink increases. We evaluate the contribution of ambipolar diffusion to the resolution of the magnetic flux problem of star formation during the accretion phase, and we find it to be very significant although not sufficient to resolve the entire problem yet. Ohmic dissipation is completely negligible in the disk during this phase of the evolution. The protostellar disk is found to be stable against interchange-like instabilities, despite the fact that the mass-to-flux ratio has temporary local maxima.Comment: Astrophysical Journal, in press. 29 pages, 13 figure

Avalanche to streamer transition in particle simulations

The avalanche to streamer transition is studied and illustrated in a particle model. The results are similar to those of fluid models. However, when super-particles are introduced, numerical artefacts become visible. This underscores the need of models that are hybrid in space.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figur

Diablo Canyon Power Plant site ecological study Quarterly Report No. 2; October 1 - December 31, 1973

During the period October 1 - December 31, 1973, Fall surveys of permanent subtidal stations were completed with one station being surveyed. We were unable to locate 3 subtidal stations. Intertidal studies were initiated in November. A total of 12 random stations was surveyed. Interviews were conducted with commercial abalone fishermen working between Pt. Buchon to Pecho Rock. We continued to monitor the sea otter herd foraging between Pt. Buchon and Lion Rock. Progress was achieved in the abalone temperature tolerance studies when a successful spawning occurred. (20pp.

Dungeness crab research program: Report for the Year 1976

All larval stages of the 1976 year class, with the exception of the 5th zoeal stage, were found in Gu1f waters January through March. The first post-larval stage was collected in San Pablo Bay in May. Fifty percent of 1976 year class crabs entered the Bay complex as compared to nearly 80% in 1975. The 1976 year class appears relatively weak. No electrophoretic polymorphism was found in Cancer magister to be of value in Dungeness crab population determinations. Multi-variate correlations comparing crab landings with an array of oceanographic parameters and the crab density dependent factor were computer-run for both northern and central California. The most significant correlating factors at the time late stage larvae prevail were sea level and atmospheric pressure for central California and, for northern California, the density dependent factor and sea surface temperature. Female crabs held at controlled temperatures indicated gonad maturation and spawning may be induced by increased temperature. Analyses of crab tissues revealed burdens of petroleum hydrocarbons, silver, selenium, cadmium, and PCB's higher in central California crabs, while DDE was found in higher amounts in northern California crab tissue. Thru-flow culture systems were developed which should yield about 163 megalopae of Dungeness crabs in 63 days from 1,200 laboratory hatched zoeae.(46pp.

Symmetric Versus Nonsymmetric Structure of the Phosphorus Vacancy on InP(110)

The atomic and electronic structure of positively charged P vacancies on InP(110) surfaces is determined by combining scanning tunneling microscopy, photoelectron spectroscopy, and density-functional theory calculations. The vacancy exhibits a nonsymmetric rebonded atomic configuration with a charge transfer level 0.75+-0.1 eV above the valence band maximum. The scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images show only a time average of two degenerate geometries, due to a thermal flip motion between the mirror configurations. This leads to an apparently symmetric STM image, although the ground state atomic structure is nonsymmetric.Comment: 5 pages including 3 figures. related publications can be found at http://www.fhi-berlin.mpg.de/th/paper.htm