The differentiation status of primary gonadal germ cell tumors correlates inversely with telomerase activity and the expression level of the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of telomerase

BACKGROUND: The activity of the ribonucleoprotein enzyme telomerase is detectable in germ, stem and tumor cells. One major component of telomerase is human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), which encodes the catalytic subunit of telomerase. Here we investigate the correlation of telomerase activity and hTERT gene expression and the differentiation status of primary testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). METHODS: Telomerase activity (TA) was detected by a quantitative telomerase PCR ELISA, and hTERT mRNA expression was quantified by online RT-PCR in 42 primary testicular germ cell tumors. The control group consisted of benign testicular biopsies from infertile patients. RESULTS: High levels of telomerase activity and hTERT expression were detected in all examined undifferentiated TGCTs and in the benign testicular tissue specimens with germ cell content. In contrast, differentiated teratomas and testicular control tissue without germ cells (Sertoli-cell-only syndrome) showed no telomerase activity and only minimal hTERT expression. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate an inverse relationship between the level of telomerase activity and hTERT mRNA expression and the differentiation state of germ cell tumors. Quantification of telomerase activity and hTERT mRNA expression enables a new molecular-diagnostic subclassification of germ cell tumors that describes their proliferation potential and differentiation status

Prognostic factors in prostate cancer

Prognostic factors in organ confined prostate cancer will reflect survival after surgical radical prostatectomy. Gleason score, tumour volume, surgical margins and Ki-67 index have the most significant prognosticators. Also the origins from the transitional zone, p53 status in cancer tissue, stage, and aneuploidy have shown prognostic significance. Progression-associated features include Gleason score, stage, and capsular invasion, but PSA is also highly significant. Progression can also be predicted with biological markers (E-cadherin, microvessel density, and aneuploidy) with high level of significance. Other prognostic features of clinical or PSA-associated progression include age, IGF-1, p27, and Ki-67. In patients who were treated with radiotherapy the survival was potentially predictable with age, race and p53, but available research on other markers is limited. The most significant published survival-associated prognosticators of prostate cancer with extension outside prostate are microvessel density and total blood PSA. However, survival can potentially be predicted by other markers like androgen receptor, and Ki-67-positive cell fraction. In advanced prostate cancer nuclear morphometry and Gleason score are the most highly significant progression-associated prognosticators. In conclusion, Gleason score, capsular invasion, blood PSA, stage, and aneuploidy are the best markers of progression in organ confined disease. Other biological markers are less important. In advanced disease Gleason score and nuclear morphometry can be used as predictors of progression. Compound prognostic factors based on combinations of single prognosticators, or on gene expression profiles (tested by DNA arrays) are promising, but clinically relevant data is still lacking

X-Ray Diffraction in Liquids

IACS, Kolkat

X-ray diffraction in liquids

The experimental studies described in a previous note in Nature (April 23, p. 601) have been continued by one of us (C. M. Sogani) and the structure of some thirty-five liquids has been studied by X-radiation. The present note indicates briefly some of the outstanding results of the investigation

Microbial Fuel Cell in Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plant – An Innovative Step towards Energy Generation and Waste Reduction

555-557The aim of the present investigation was to study the low cost fabricated single chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) from the easily accessible and cheaper electrode material such as galvanized steel and copper. The inlet of primary and secondary wastewater treatment plant is used as a substrate in this MFC at ambient temperature and under aerobic condition. Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) confirms the microorganism attachment on the anode surface after running the experiment. The higher voltages of 1530 mV and 3015 mV at a COD reduction of 88 % and 87.0 % were observed for the inlet of primary and secondary treatment units, respectively. Thus, from this study, we suggest that the installation of MFC at the inlet of secondary wastewater treatment would achieve better COD reduction as well as electricity generation. However, for real time application of this technology further detailed investigation of the other influential parameters need to be done

A critical-absorption photometer for the study of the Compton effect

This article does not have an abstract

X-ray diffraction in liquids

In order to find experimental support for the theory of X-ray diffraction in liquids put forward some three years ago by C. V. Raman and K. R. Ramanathan (Proc. Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, vol. 8, p. 127, 1923), extensive studies have been undertaken in the authors' laboratory of the phenomena observed when a pencil of monochromatic X-rays passes through a layer of fluid, particularly with the view of determining how the effects are influenced by the physical condition and the chemical nature of the substance under investigation. The photographs here reproduced (Fig. 1, a and b) were obtained in the course of work on this line by one of us (C. M. Sogani) and represent the X-ray liquid haloes of hexane and cyclo-hexane respectively. The fluids were contained in cells with very thin walls of mica, and the K-radiation of copper from a Shearer X-ray tube was used