User's guide to a data base of current environmental monitoring projects in the US-Canadian transboundary region

This document describes how to use a data base of current transboundary region environmental monitoring projects. The data base was prepared from data provided by Glantz et al. (1986) and Concord Scientific Corporation (1985), and contains information on 226 projects with monitoring stations located within 400 km (250 mi) of the US-Canadian border. The data base is designed for use with the dBASE III PLUS data management systems on IBM-compatible personal computers. Data-base searches are best accomplished using an accompanying command file called RETRIEVE or the dBASE command LIST. The user must carefully select the substrings on which the search is to be based. Example search requests and subsequent output are presented to illustrate substring selections and applications of the data base. 4 refs., 15 figs., 4 tabs

Factors contributing to improved local control after mastectomy in patients with breast cancer aged 40 years or younger.

Item does not contain fulltextLong-term local control rates were studied in a series of 659 patients with invasive breast cancer aged 40 years or younger, who underwent mastectomy in general hospitals in the southern part of the Netherlands between 1988 and 2005. During a median follow-up time of 6.0 years, 34 patients developed a local recurrence in the chest wall without previous or simultaneous evidence of distant disease. The 5- and 10-year actuarial local recurrence rates for the total group were 5.6% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 3.5-7.7%) and 7.3% (95% CI, 4.7-9.9%), respectively. A multivariate analysis showed that patients receiving radiotherapy (hazards ratio [HR], 0.29; 95% CI, 0.10-0.96) or adjuvant systemic treatment (HR 0.23; 95% CI, 0.08-0.65) had a significantly lower risk of local recurrence. It is concluded that excellent local control rates can be obtained with mastectomy in young women with breast cancer, especially in those who receive adjuvant systemic treatment and/or radiotherapy.1 februari 201

Absence of a reductase, NCB5OR, causes insulin-deficient diabetes

NCB5OR is a highly conserved NAD(P)H reductase that contains a cytochrome b5-like domain at the N terminus and a cytochrome b5 reductase-like domain at the C terminus. The enzyme is located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and is widely expressed in organs and tissues. Targeted inactivation of this gene in mice has no impact on embryonic or fetal viability. At 4 weeks of age, Ncb5or-/- mice have normal blood glucose levels but impaired glucose tolerance. Isolated Ncb5or-/- islets have markedly impaired glucose- or arginine-stimulated insulin secretion. By 7 weeks of age, these mice develop severe hyperglycemia with markedly decreased serum insulin levels and nearly normal insulin tolerance. As the animals age, there is a progressive loss of beta cells in pancreatic islets, but there is no loss of alpha, delta, or PP cells. Electron microscopy reveals degranulation of beta cells and hypertrophic and hyperplastic mitochondria, some of which contain electron dense inclusions. Four-week-old Ncb5or-/- mice have enhanced sensitivity to the diabetogenic agent streptozotocin. NCB5OR appears to play a critical role in protecting pancreatic beta cells against oxidant stress

Kompatscher, Andreas

(1864 - 1939), Bildhaue

Régulation de l'IGF-I par la nutrition: mécanismes et implications

L’IGF-I (Insulin-like Growth Factor I) est un facteur de croissance indispensable à la croissance staturopondérale. L’IGF-I présent dans la circulation est essentiellement d’origine hépatique. Sa production est stimulée par l’hormone de croissance et régulée par la nutrition. En effet, la réduction de l’apport alimentaire diminue les taux circulants d’IGF-I. Les mécanismes responsables de la régulation de la production d’IGF-I par l’apport alimentaire, notamment en protéines, ont été largement caractérisés. Le contrôle de la production d’IGF-I par l’apport nutritionnel a permis d’imaginer un mécanisme par lequel la nutrition est capable de réguler les grandes fonctions physiologiques et peut contribuer au développement de certaines pathologies. Ainsi, le retard de croissance causé par la malnutrition protéinocalorique est en partie secondaire à une réduction des taux circulants d’IGF-I. Outre le retard de croissance, la réduction de l’apport nutritionnel induit également un allongement de la durée de vie dans de nombreuses espèces. De façon surprenante, l’inhibition de l’activité d’IGF-I obtenue par des manipulations génétiques s’accompagne elle aussi d’un allongement de la durée de vie. Il est dès lors possible que la réduction des taux d’IGF-I induite par la diminution de l’apport alimentaire contribue à l’allongement de la durée de vie observé. Contrairement à la malnutrition, un apport alimentaire excessif est susceptible d’augmenter, bien que modestement, les taux circulants d’IGF-I. Sur cette base, il a été suggéré que les taux d’IGF-I élevés observés dans l’obésité pourraient contribuer au risque accru de cancer observé dans cette population. En conclusion, les variations d’IGF-I circulante induites par des changements de l’apport nutritionnel pourraient affecter la croissance staturopondérale, la longévité et le risque de cancer