Quantitative pretreatment VOI analysis of liver metastases 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT and FDG PET/CT in relation with treatment response to SIRT

Using quantitive VOI analysis, the percentage Tc-99m-MAA uptake and SUVmax and mean values of liver metastases obtained prior to SIRT were related to treatment response using both a lesion-based and clinical dichotomous approach. Based on the VOI % of Tc-99m-MAA activity, the estimated Y-90-microspheres activity/cc (MBq/cc) was calculated from the effective dose injected. Baseline VOI FDG PET SUVmean and max values and estimated MBq/cc values were related to treatment response using a lesion-based approach (% change in SUVmean >= 50%) and a clinical dichotomous approach. Fifteen treatment sessions were analyzed (13 patients). Using the lesion-based approach (12 treatment sessions) 40 lesions responded and 37 did not. SUVmax and mean values proved significantly different between non-responding and responding lesions; 18:6 (SD 10.8) versus 13.5 (SD 8.4) for SUVmax (p = 0.02) and 11.4 (SD 3.8) versus 6.3 (SD 4.5) for SUVmean (p = 0.002). Using the clinical dichotomous approach (15 treatment sessions / 11 responding), 91 lesions were analyzed; 57 responded. VOI volumes and estimated Y-90-loaded glass microspheres activity (MBq/cc) did not differ between responders and non responders; 24 cc (SD 27) versus 21 cc (SD 21 cc) (p = 0.4) and 1.95 MBq/cc (SD 1.1 MBq/cc) versus 1.90 MB/cc (SD 2.7 MBq/cc) (p = 0.92). On the contrary, SUVmax and mean values proved significantly different between responders and non-responders; 23.7 (SD 9.8) versus 9.4 (SD 3.8) for SUVmax (p = 0.0001) and 13.1 (SD 8.1) versus 4.9 (SD 1.4) for SUVmean. Conclusion: These findings suggest that in patients presenting with high baseline SUVmax and mean values, the administration of higher activities or alternatively, other potentially more useful treatment options might be considered

Stress and coping patterns of participants and non-participants in self-help groups for parents of the mentally ill

The authors examined differences in stress and coping patterns as well as in situationally-related variables between participants and non-participants in self-help groups for parents of the mentally ill in Israel. Participants, who were higher on socio-economic status indicators, reported coping patterns that tended to be both more active and interactive. They also reported greater concerns around psycho-social issues than non-participants. The authors discuss the possible interrelationships among these findings.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44305/1/10597_2004_Article_BF00752453.pd

H2AX phosphorylation at the sites of DNA double-strand breaks in cultivated mammalian cells and tissues

A sequence variant of histone H2A called H2AX is one of the key components of chromatin involved in DNA damage response induced by different genotoxic stresses. Phosphorylated H2AX (γH2AX) is rapidly concentrated in chromatin domains around DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) after the action of ionizing radiation or chemical agents and at stalled replication forks during replication stress. γH2AX foci could be easily detected in cell nuclei using immunofluorescence microscopy that allows to use γH2AX as a quantitative marker of DSBs in various applications. H2AX is phosphorylated in situ by ATM, ATR, and DNA-PK kinases that have distinct roles in different pathways of DSB repair. The γH2AX serves as a docking site for the accumulation of DNA repair proteins, and after rejoining of DSBs, it is released from chromatin. The molecular mechanism of γH2AX dephosphorylation is not clear. It is complicated and requires the activity of different proteins including phosphatases and chromatin-remodeling complexes. In this review, we summarize recently published data concerning the mechanisms and kinetics of γH2AX loss in normal cells and tissues as well as in those deficient in ATM, DNA-PK, and DSB repair proteins activity. The results of the latest scientific research of the low-dose irradiation phenomenon are presented including the bystander effect and the adaptive response estimated by γH2AX detection in cells and tissues

The Radiation Issue in Cardiology: the time for action is now

The "radiation issue" is the need to consider possible deterministic effects (e.g., skin injuries) and long-term cancer risks due to ionizing radiation in the risk-benefit assessment of diagnostic or therapeutic testing. Although there are currently no data showing that high-dose medical studies have actually increased the incidence of cancer, the "linear-no threshold" model in radioprotection assumes that no safe dose exists; all doses add up in determining cancer risks; and the risk increases linearly with increasing radiation dose. The possibility of deterministic effects should also be considered when skin or lens doses may be over the threshold. Cardiologists have a special mission to avoid unjustified or non-optimized use of radiation, since they are responsible for 45% of the entire cumulative effective dose of 3.0 mSv (similar to the radiological risk of 150 chest x-rays) per head per year to the US population from all medical sources except radiotherapy. In addition, interventional cardiologists have an exposure per head per year two to three times higher than that of radiologists. The most active and experienced interventional cardiologists in high volume cath labs have an annual exposure equivalent to around 5 mSv per head and a professional lifetime attributable to excess cancer risk on the order of magnitude of 1 in 100. Cardiologists are the contemporary radiologists but sometimes imperfectly aware of the radiological dose of the examination they prescribe or practice, which can range from the equivalent of 1-60 mSv around a reference dose average of 10-15 mSv for a percutaneous coronary intervention, a cardiac radiofrequency ablation, a multi-detector coronary angiography, or a myocardial perfusion imaging scintigraphy. A good cardiologist cannot be afraid of life-saving radiation, but must be afraid of radiation unawareness and negligence

Catalogue Des Collections De Monsieur Arthur Löbbecke À Brunswick, De Feu Monsieur L. M. Beels Van Heemstede, À Heemstede, E. A. (1929, 17 Juin)

CATALOGUE DES COLLECTIONS DE MONSIEUR ARTHUR LÖBBECKE À BRUNSWICK, DE FEU MONSIEUR L. M. BEELS VAN HEEMSTEDE, À HEEMSTEDE, E. A. Catalogue / J. Schulman (-) Catalogue Des Collections De Monsieur Arthur Löbbecke À Brunswick, De Feu Monsieur L. M. Beels Van Heemstede, À Heemstede, E. A. (1929, 17 Juin) ( - ) Cover ( - ) Titelseite ( - ) Conditions de la Vente. / Abréviations principales. ( - ) Médailles Artistiques (1) Italie (1) France (12) Pays-Bas. (17) Angleterre (21) Espagne (21) Allemagne (22) Autriche (29) Plaquettes (35) Italie (35) Allemagne (43) Pays-Bas (45) France (46) Varia. (46) Index Alphabétique (47) Noms Des Artistes. (47) Noms Des Personnages, Pays, Villes Et Sujets Divers. (48) Pl. XXVII ( -

Production of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) pseudoviruses using linear HIV-1 envelope expression cassettes

HIV-1 pseudoviruses constitute an important tool in HIV-1 vaccine and entry inhibitor research. Single-cycle pseudoviruses carrying functional envelopes are generated by co-transfecting HEK293T cells with pNL4-3.LucR(-)E(-) and Env expression plasmids. However, cloning of Env genes is time consuming and single Env clones are not representative of the diversity of HIV-1 in a patient's blood sample. A new method to construct Env expression cassettes is proposed which can be used for the rapid generation of heterogeneous HIV-1 pseudoviruses without a cloning step. The linear Env expression cassettes are constructed by ligating PCR amplified Env genes between a 5' CMV promoter and 3' SV40 polyadenylation element. The resulting cassettes generate pseudoviruses carrying heterogeneous Env variants of a primary HIV-1 isolate derived from viral RNA or proviral DNA. The influence of cis-acting sequences upstream of the Env gene on infectivity was compared between pseudoviruses generated from plasmids and linear expression cassettes. The results suggest that the presence of these upstream sequences tends to result in higher infectivity of pseudoviruses when present in heterogeneous Env expression cassettes, but they do not enhance infectivity of pseudoviruses generated with homogeneous Env expression constructs. Using linear expression cassettes allows for the rapid production of heterogeneous patient-derived functional Env genes