A Statistical analysis of the Printing Standards Audit (PSA) press sheet database

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Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma

AbstractBronchioloalveolar carcinoma is a subtype of adenocarcinoma of the lung with a relatively better prognosis. We reviewed the cases of 50 consecutive patients with bronchioloalveolar carcinoma treated during a 10-year period and attempted to analyze factors related to prognosis. During the 10-year study period, the prevalence of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma relative to adenocarcinoma of the lung remained steady. The subjects included 32 male and 18 female patients with mean ages of 64.7 years and 55.1 years, respectively (p = 0.0030). The preoperative radiographic findings included 40 cases of localized and 10 cases of diffuse bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. The clinicopathologic TNM staging included 20 patients with stage I cancer, 4 with stage II cancer, 11 with stage IIIa cancer, 3 with stage IIIb cancer, and 12 with stage IV cancer. Forty patients with clinical stage I, II, or III disease underwent operation (operability 80%). The resectability rate was 90% (36 of 40). Thirty-four procedures were considered as curative. The overall cumulative survival at 5 years was 22.2% (46.4% for stage I). Different TNM stages showed significant differences in survival time (p = 0.0001). The median survival times were 64.6 months for stage I, 48.0 months for stage II, 24.7 months for stage IIIa, 9.0 months for stage IIIb, and 4.5 months for stage IV disease. The median survival time for localized bronchioloalveolar carcinoma was 27.5 months, and the median survival time for diffuse bronchioloalveolar carcinoma was 4.3 months (p = 0.0002). The median survival time for the curative resection group was 30.6 months, and the median survival time for the noncurative resection or nonresection group was 5.8 months (p = 0.0001). On the basis of this study we conclude that (1) the prevalence of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma is quite steady, (2) bronchioloalveolar carcinoma presents at an earlier age in women, (3) bronchioloalveolar carcinoma frequently presents with lymphatic spread or systemic metastasis at diagnosis, (4) most localized bronchioloalveolar carcinomas are resectable and the prognosis with this type is better than that of the diffuse type, and (5) long-term survival correlates closely with initial roentgenographic appearance, TNM stage, and completeness of surgical resection. (J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG 1995;110:374-81

Statistics and decision making as applied to printing conformity assessment

Conformity assessment, a relatively new activity in the printing industry, is an attestation that specified requirements relating to a product or process have been fulfilled. Printing certification bodies assess printing conformity according to sampling, aim points, tolerances, and decision-making rules that are stipulated by printing standards. However, do we know if: sampling is too large or too small; normative requirements are too many or too few; tolerances are set too tightly or too loosely; and the pass/fail criterion is too stringent or too relaxed? Moreover, how do these factors impact the passing probability of a sample, a job, and the database as a whole? To study inter-dependencies of these factors in production variation conformity, this research assumes that the number of jobs to be assessed for printing conformity is very large and that samples selected from a job are random. Statistical theory is used to study the relation between the passing probabilities of a printing job, a single sheet within each job, and each normative requirement. In our theoretical frame, given the tolerance levels of certain normative requirements, we can determine the passing probabilities of the criteria, the passing probability of a single sheet, and the overall passing probability of a printing job. Given the passing probability of a printing job, we can also determine the tolerance level of each normative requirement by reversing the procedure. This research uses a real-life printing dataset and simulation techniques to determine the passing probabilities of a job as a function of sampling, tolerances, and the pass/fail criterion of a job. This research offers two meaningful inferences: (1) the printing standards development community, i.e., ISO/TC 130, needs to be aware that sampling requirements, the number of normative requirements and their associated tolerances, and the pass/fail criteria impact the passing probability of a job; and (2) printers who are seeking printing certification need to know that, although sampling is random, the passing probability of a job ultimately depends on the process calibration and the effectiveness of local process control

The ACR11 encodes a novel type of chloroplastic ACT domain repeat protein that is coordinately expressed with GLN2 in Arabidopsis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The ACT domain, named after bacterial aspartate kinase, chorismate mutase and TyrA (prephenate dehydrogenase), is a regulatory domain that serves as an amino acid-binding site in feedback-regulated amino acid metabolic enzymes. We have previously identified a novel type of ACT domain-containing protein family, the ACT domain repeat (ACR) protein family, in <it>Arabidopsis</it>. Members of the ACR family, ACR1 to ACR8, contain four copies of the ACT domain that extend throughout the entire polypeptide. Here, we describe the identification of four novel ACT domain-containing proteins, namely ACR9 to ACR12, in <it>Arabidopsis</it>. The ACR9 and ACR10 proteins contain three copies of the ACT domain, whereas the ACR11 and ACR12 proteins have a putative transit peptide followed by two copies of the ACT domain. The functions of these plant ACR proteins are largely unknown.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The ACR11 and ACR12 proteins are predicted to target to chloroplasts. We used protoplast transient expression assay to demonstrate that the <it>Arabidopsis </it>ACR11- and ACR12-green fluorescent fusion proteins are localized to the chloroplast. Analysis of an <it>ACR11 </it>promoter-β-glucuronidase (GUS) fusion in transgenic <it>Arabidopsis </it>revealed that the GUS activity was mainly detected in mature leaves and sepals. Interestingly, coexpression analysis revealed that the <it>GLN2</it>, which encodes a chloroplastic glutamine synthetase, has the highest mutual rank in the coexpressed gene network connected to <it>ACR11</it>. We used RNA gel blot analysis to confirm that the expression pattern of <it>ACR11 </it>is similar to that of <it>GLN2 </it>in various organs from 6-week-old <it>Arabidopsis</it>. Moreover, the expression of <it>ACR11 </it>and <it>GLN2 </it>is highly co-regulated by sucrose and light/dark treatments in 2-week-old <it>Arabidopsis </it>seedlings.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study reports the identification of four novel ACT domain repeat proteins, ACR9 to ACR12, in <it>Arabidopsis</it>. The ACR11 and ACR12 proteins are localized to the chloroplast, and the expression of <it>ACR11 </it>and <it>GLN2 </it>is highly coordinated. These results suggest that the <it>ACR11 </it>and <it>GLN2 </it>genes may belong to the same functional module. The <it>Arabidopsis </it>ACR11 protein may function as a regulatory protein that is related to glutamine metabolism or signaling in the chloroplast.</p

A novel method to identify cooperative functional modules: study of module coordination in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell cycle

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Identifying key components in biological processes and their associations is critical for deciphering cellular functions. Recently, numerous gene expression and molecular interaction experiments have been reported in <it>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</it>, and these have enabled systematic studies. Although a number of approaches have been used to predict gene functions and interactions, tools that analyze the essential coordination of functional components in cellular processes still need to be developed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this work, we present a new approach to study the cooperation of functional modules (sets of functionally related genes) in a specific cellular process. A cooperative module pair is defined as two modules that significantly cooperate with certain functional genes in a cellular process. This method identifies cooperative module pairs that significantly influence a cellular process and the correlated genes and interactions that are essential to that process. Using the yeast cell cycle as an example, we identified 101 cooperative module associations among 82 modules, and importantly, we established a cell cycle-specific cooperative module network. Most of the identified module pairs cover cooperative pathways and components essential to the cell cycle. We found that 14, 36, 18, 15, and 20 cooperative module pairs significantly cooperate with genes regulated in early G1, late G1, S, G2, and M phase, respectively. Fifty-nine module pairs that correlate with Cdc28 and other essential regulators were also identified. These results are consistent with previous studies and demonstrate that our methodology is effective for studying cooperative mechanisms in the cell cycle.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In this work, we propose a new approach to identifying condition-related cooperative interactions, and importantly, we establish a cell cycle-specific cooperation module network. These results provide a global view of the cell cycle and the method can be used to discover the dynamic coordination properties of functional components in other cellular processes.</p

The Inhibitory Effect of Ellagic Acid on Cell Growth of Ovarian Carcinoma Cells

Ellagic acid (EA) is able to inhibit the growth of several cancer cells; however, its effect on human ovarian carcinoma cells has not yet been investigated. Ovarian carcinoma ES-2 and PA-1 cells were treated with EA (10~100 μM) and assessed for viability, cell cycle, apoptosis, anoikis, autophagy, and chemosensitivity to doxorubicin and their molecular mechanisms. EA inhibited cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner by arresting both cell lines at the G1 phase of the cell cycle, which were from elevating p53 and Cip1/p21 and decreasing cyclin D1 and E levels. EA also induced caspase-3-mediated apoptosis by increasing the Bax : Bcl-2 ratio and restored anoikis in both cell lines. The enhancement of apoptosis and/or inhibition of autophagy in these cells by EA assisted the chemotherapy efficacy. The results indicated that EA is a potential novel chemoprevention and treatment assistant agent for human ovarian carcinoma

Gossypiboma of the Leg: MR Imaging Characteristics. A Case Report

We report a 22-year-old man with a solid mass in the right proximal leg, which was furned out to be a gossypiboma. MR imaging revealed a well-defined mass lesion that showed intermediate signal intensity at T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) and slightly high signal intensity at T2-weighted imaging (T2WI). Wavy, low-signal-intensity stripes were visible within the fluid-filled central cavity. At surgical exploration, a sponge, retained after previous knee surgery, was discovered, and it was found that a granuloma had developed. Pathologic examination revealed granulomatous inflammation, with lymphocyte and giant cell infiltration. The presence of wavy, low-signal-intensity gauze fibers at T2WI may be a characteristic MR appearance of gossypiboma

Left ventricular mass and hemodynamic overload in normotensive hemodialysis patients

Left ventricular mass and hemodynamic overload in normotensive hemodialysis patients.BackgroundIt remains uncertain whether the hemodynamic parameters are important determinants of left ventricular mass (LVM) in normotensive chronic hemodialysis (NTHD) patients, as has been found in their hypertensive counterparts.MethodsForty NTHD patients (mean age, 53.7 ± 14.4 years; male/female, 18/22) without the requirement of antihypertensive drugs for at least six months were studied. Controls were 41 hypertensive hemodialysis patients (HTHD) and 46 normotensive subjects with normal renal function (NTNR). The influence of anthropometrics, cardiovascular structure and function, and volume status on LVM (by two-dimensional echocardiography) was analyzed by steps of multiple linear regression.ResultsAs compared with the NTNR and NTHD group, the HTHD group had obvious pressure and volume/flow overload, and greater LV wall thickness, chamber size and mass. In contrast, NTHD subjects had similar blood pressure, large artery function, LV chamber size and stroke volume as the NTNR subjects. However, the NTHD patients still had greater wall thickness and LVM, along with greater cardiac output, lower total peripheral resistance and lower end-systolic meridional stress to volume ratio (ESSV) than the NTNR group. LVM in the NTHD group was significantly positively related to averaged systolic blood pressure (SBPavg), body surface area, extracellular fluid (ECF), carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV), and negatively related to ESSV and Kt/V. The independent significant noncardiac structural determinants of LVM in NTHD subjects were ESSV, SBPavg, PWV and SV (model r2 = 0.617, P < 0.001).ConclusionsThe NTHD patients, without significant pressure and volume overload, still had increased LVM that was partially explained by the persistent flow overload and subclinical LV dysfunction

Inhibition of yes-associated protein suppresses brain metastasis of human lung adenocarcinoma in a murine model.

Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a main mediator of the Hippo pathway and promotes cancer development and progression in human lung cancer. We sought to determine whether inhibition of YAP suppresses metastasis of human lung adenocarcinoma in a murine model. We found that metastatic NSCLC cell lines H2030-BrM3(K-rasG12C mutation) and PC9-BrM3 (EGFRΔexon19 mutation) had a significantly decreased p-YAP(S127)/YAP ratio compared to parental H2030 (K-rasG12C mutation) and PC9 (EGFRΔexon19 mutation) cells (P&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;.05). H2030-BrM3 cells had significantly increased YAP mRNA and expression of Hippo downstream genes CTGF and CYR61 compared to parental H2030 cells (P&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;.05). Inhibition of YAP by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly decreased mRNA expression in downstream genes CTGF and CYR61 in H2030-BrM3 cells (P&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;.05). In addition, inhibiting YAP by YAP shRNA significantly decreased migration and invasion abilities of H2030-BrM3 cells (P&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;.05). We are first to show that mice inoculated with YAP shRNA-transfected H2030-BrM3 cells had significantly decreased metastatic tumour burden and survived longer than control mice (P&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;.05). Collectively, our results suggest that YAP plays an important role in promoting lung adenocarcinoma brain metastasis and that direct inhibition of YAP by shRNA suppresses H2030-BrM3 cell brain metastasis in a murine model