Объем остаточной тиреоидной ткани и эффективность постоперационной радиойодтерапии больных с дифференцированными формами рака щитовидной железы

Резюме. У 210 больных с дифференцированными формами рака щитовидной железы изучено влияние массы участков остаточной ткани щитовидной железы (ОТЩЖ) на эффективность радиойодтерапии (РЙТ). Через 4–6 нед после хирургического лечения выполняли диагностическую сцинтиграфию с 70–80 МБк 131I, по данным которой на основании эллипсоидной модели рассчитывали объем ОТЩЖ. РЙТ проводили активностями 1,9–4,7 ГБк, контрольную сцинтиграфию выполняли через 4–6 мес. Эффективность первого курса РЙТ при объеме ОТЩЖ 1 см3 и менее составляла 88,9%, при объеме более 4 см3 — 69,3% (р < 0,05). Установлена достоверная корреляция между объемом ОТЩЖ и эффективностью первого курса РЙТ. При наличии нескольких участков ОТЩЖ эффективность РЙТ определяется не столько их количеством и суммарным объемом, сколько объемом каждого участка. Ключевые слова: дифференцированный рак щитовидной железы, тиреоидэктомия, радиойодтерапия, остаточная ткань щитовидной железы.Summary. The influence of the mass of the residual thyroid tissue (RTT) on the efficacy of radioiodine therapy (RT) was investigated in 210 patients with differentiated forms of thyroid cancer (DFTC). 4 to 6 weeks after surgery, diagnostic 131J scintigraphy (70–80 MBq) was applied. On the basis of data obtained, the RTT size was measured based on an ellipsoidal model. Activities applied in RT ranged between 1,9–4,7 GBq; control scintigraphy was performed in 4 to 6 months. The efficacy of the first RT course was 88,9% in patients with RTT of 1 cm3 or smaller and 69,3% in patients with RTT of 4 cm3 or larger (р<0,05). A significant correlation was found between the size of RTT and the efficacy of the first RT course. In cases where there were several RTT areas, the RT efficacy depended on the overall size of each area rather than on the number of such areas. Key Words: differentiated thyroid cancer, thyreoidectomy, radioiodine therapy, residual thyroid tissue

A predicted physicochemically distinct sub-proteome associated with the intracellular organelle of the anammox bacterium Kuenenia stuttgartiensis

Background: Anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria perform a key step in global nitrogen cycling. These bacteria make use of an organelle to oxidize ammonia anaerobically to nitrogen (N2) and so contribute approximately 50% of the nitrogen in the atmosphere. It is currently unknown which proteins constitute the organellar proteome and how anammox bacteria are able to specifically target organellar and cell-envelope proteins to their correct final destinations. Experimental approaches are complicated by the absence of pure cultures and genetic accessibility. However, the genome of the anammox bacterium Candidatus "Kuenenia stuttgartiensis" has recently been sequenced. Here, we make use of these genome data to predict the organellar sub-proteome and address the molecular basis of protein sorting in anammox bacteria. Results: Two training sets representing organellar (30 proteins) and cell envelope (59 proteins) proteins were constructed based on previous experimental evidence and comparative genomics. Random forest (RF) classifiers trained on these two sets could differentiate between organellar and cell envelope proteins with ~89% accuracy using 400 features consisting of frequencies of two adjacent amino acid combinations. A physicochemically distinct organellar sub-proteome containing 562 proteins was predicted with the best RF classifier. This set included almost all catabolic and respiratory factors encoded in the genome. Apparently, the cytoplasmic membrane performs no catabolic functions. We predict that the Tat-translocation system is located exclusively in the organellar membrane, whereas the Sec-translocation system is located on both the organellar and cytoplasmic membranes. Canonical signal peptides were predicted and validated experimentally, but a specific (N- or C-terminal) signal that could be used for protein targeting to the organelle remained elusive. Conclusions: A physicochemically distinct organellar sub-proteome was predicted from the genome of the anammox bacterium K. stuttgartiensis. This result provides strong in silico support for the existing experimental evidence for the existence of an organelle in this bacterium, and is an important step forward in unravelling a geochemically relevant case of cytoplasmic differentiation in bacteria. The predicted dual location of the Sec-translocation system and the apparent absence of a specific N- or C-terminal signal in the organellar proteins suggests that additional chaperones may be necessary that act on an as-yet unknown property of the targeted proteins

Intermittency in the photosphere and corona above an active region

Recent studies undoubtedly demonstrate that the magnetic field in the photosphere and corona is an intermittent structure, which offers new views on the underlying physics. In particular, such problems as the existence in the corona of localized areas with extremely strong resistivity (required to explain magnetic reconnection of all scales) and the interchange between small and large scales (required in study of the photosphere/corona coupling), to name a few, can be easily captured by the concept of intermittency. This study is focused on simultaneous time variations of intermittency properties derived in the photosphere, chromosphere and corona. We analyzed data for NOAA AR 10930 acquired between Dec 08, 2006 12:00 UT and Dec 13, 2006 18:45 UT. Photospheric intermittency was inferred from Hinode magnetic field measurements, while intermittency in the transition region and corona was derived from Nobeyama 9 GHz radio polarization measurements, high cadence Hinode/XRT/Be-thin data as well as GOES 1-8\AA flux. Photospheric dynamics and its possible relationship with the intermittency variations were also analyzed by calculating the kinetic vorticity. For this case study we found the following chain of events. Intermittency of the photospheric magnetic field peaked after the specific kinetic vorticity of plasma flows in the AR reached its maximum level (4 hour time delay). In turn, gradual increase of coronal intermittency occurred after the peak of the photospheric intermittency. The time delay between the peak of photospheric intermittency and the occurrence of the first strong (X3.4) flare was approximately 1.3 days. Our analysis seems to suggest that the enhancement of intermittency/complexity first occurs in the photosphere and is later transported toward the corona

Psychiatry during the Nazi era: ethical lessons for the modern professional

For the first time in history, psychiatrists during the Nazi era sought to systematically exterminate their patients. However, little has been published from this dark period analyzing what may be learned for clinical and research psychiatry. At each stage in the murderous process lay a series of unethical and heinous practices, with many psychiatrists demonstrating a profound commitment to the atrocities, playing central, pivotal roles critical to the success of Nazi policy. Several misconceptions led to this misconduct, including allowing philosophical constructs to define clinical practice, focusing exclusively on preventative medicine, allowing political pressures to influence practice, blurring the roles of clinicians and researchers, and falsely believing that good science and good ethics always co-exist. Psychiatry during this period provides a most horrifying example of how science may be perverted by external forces. It thus becomes crucial to include the Nazi era psychiatry experience in ethics training as an example of proper practice gone awry

Acoustic Events in the Solar Atmosphere from Hinode/SOT NFI observations

We investigate the properties of acoustic events (AEs), defined as spatially concentrated and short duration energy flux, in the quiet sun using observations of a 2D field of view (FOV) with high spatial and temporal resolution provided by the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) onboard \textit{Hinode}. Line profiles of Fe \textsc{i} 557.6 nm were recorded by the Narrow band Filter Imager (NFI) on a $82" \times 82"$ FOV during 75 min with a time step of 28.75 s and 0.08$"$ pixel size. Vertical velocities were computed at three atmospheric levels (80, 130 and 180 km) using the bisector technique allowing the determination of energy flux in the range 3-10 mHz using two complementary methods (Hilbert transform and Fourier power spectra). Horizontal velocities were computed using local correlation tracking (LCT) of continuum intensities providing divergences. The net energy flux is upward. In the range 3-10 mHz, a full FOV space and time averaged flux of 2700 W m$^{-2}$ (lower layer 80-130 km) and 2000 W m$^{-2}$ (upper layer 130-180 km) is concentrated in less than 1% of the solar surface in the form of narrow (0.3$"$) AE. Their total duration (including rise and decay) is of the order of $10^{3}$ s. Inside each AE, the mean flux is $1.6 10^{5}$ W m$^{-2}$ (lower layer) and $1.2 10^{5}$ W m$^{-2}$ (upper). Each event carries an average energy (flux integrated over space and time) of $2.5 10^{19}$ J (lower layer) to $1.9 10^{19}$ J (upper). More than $10^{6}$ events could exist permanently on the Sun, with a birth and decay rate of 3500 s$^{-1}$. Most events occur in intergranular lanes, downward velocity regions, and areas of converging motions.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figure

Multiwavelength Observations of Small-Scale Reconnection Events triggered by Magnetic Flux Emergence in the Solar Atmosphere

The interaction between emerging magnetic flux and the pre-existing ambient field has become a "hot" topic for both numerical simulations and high-resolution observations of the solar atmosphere. The appearance of brightenings and surges during episodes of flux emergence is believed to be a signature of magnetic reconnection processes. We present an analysis of a small-scale flux emergence event in NOAA 10971, observed simultaneously with the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope on La Palma and the \emph{Hinode} satellite during a joint campaign in September 2007. Extremely high-resolution G-band, H$\alpha$, and \ion{Ca}{2} H filtergrams, \ion{Fe}{1} and \ion{Na}{1} magnetograms, EUV raster scans, and X-ray images show that the emerging region was associated with chromospheric, transition region and coronal brightenings, as well as with chromospheric surges. We suggest that these features were caused by magnetic reconnection at low altitude in the atmosphere. To support this idea, we perform potential and linear force-free field extrapolations using the FROMAGE service. The extrapolations show that the emergence site is cospatial with a 3D null point, from which a spine originates. This magnetic configuration and the overall orientation of the field lines above the emerging flux region are compatible with the structures observed in the different atmospheric layers, and remain stable against variations of the force-free field parameter. Our analysis supports the predictions of recent 3D numerical simulations that energetic phenomena may result from the interaction between emerging flux and the pre-existing chromospheric and coronal field.Comment: In press for Ap

An intracellular pH gradient in the anammox bacterium Kuenenia stuttgartiensis as evaluated by 31P NMR

The cytoplasm of anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) bacteria consists of three compartments separated by membranes. It has been suggested that a proton motive force may be generated over the membrane of the innermost compartment, the “anammoxosome”. 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was employed to investigate intracellular pH differences in the anammox bacterium Kuenenia stuttgartiensis. With in vivo NMR, spectra were recorded of active, highly concentrated suspensions of K. stuttgartiensis in a wide-bore NMR tube. At different external pH values, two stable and distinct phosphate peaks were apparent in the recorded spectra. These peaks were equivalent with pH values of 7.3 and 6.3 and suggested the presence of a proton motive force over an intracytoplasmic membrane in K. stuttgartiensis. This study provides for the second time—after discovery of acidocalcisome-like compartments in Agrobacterium tumefaciens—evidence for an intracytoplasmic pH gradient in a chemotrophic prokaryotic cell

FACIL: Fast and Accurate Genetic Code Inference and Logo

Motivation: The intensification of DNA sequencing will increasingly unveil uncharacterized species with potential alternative genetic codes. A total of 0.65% of the DNA sequences currently in Genbank encode their proteins with a variant genetic code, and these exceptions occur in many unrelated taxa. Results: We introduce FACIL (Fast and Accurate genetic Code Inference and Logo), a fast and reliable tool to evaluate nucleic acid sequences for their genetic code that detects alternative codes even in species distantly related to known organisms. To illustrate this, we apply FACIL to a set of mitochondrial genomic contigs of Globobulimina pseudospinescens. This foraminifer does not have any sequenced close relative in the databases, yet we infer its alternative genetic code with high confidence values. Results are intuitively visualized in a Genetic Code Logo

Magnetic Field Structures in a Facular Region Observed by THEMIS and Hinode

The main objective of this paper is to build and compare vector magnetic maps obtained by two spectral polarimeters, i.e. THEMIS/MTR and Hinode SOT/SP, using two inversion codes (UNNOFIT and MELANIE) based on the Milne-Eddington solar atmosphere model. To this end, we used observations of a facular region within active region NOAA 10996 on 23 May 2008, and found consistent results concerning the field strength, azimuth and inclination distributions. Because SOT/SP is free from the seeing effect and has better spatial resolution, we were able to resolve small magnetic polarities with sizes of 1" to 2", and we could detect strong horizontal magnetic fields, which converge or diverge in negative or positive facular polarities. These findings support models which suggest the existence of small vertical flux tube bundles in faculae. A new method is proposed to get the relative formation heights of the multi-lines observed by MTR assuming the validity of a flux tube model for the faculae. We found that the Fe 1 6302.5 \AA line forms at a greater atmospheric height than the Fe 1 5250.2 \AA line.Comment: 20 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in Solar Physic

Protein N-terminal acetylation: NAT 2007–2008 Symposia

Protein N-terminal acetylation is a very common modification, but has during the past decades received relatively little attention. In order to put this neglected field back on the scientific map, we have in May 2007 and September 2008 arranged two international NAT symposia in Bergen, Norway. This supplement contains selected proceedings from these symposia reflecting the current status of the field, including an overview of protein N-terminal acetylation in yeast and humans, a novel nomenclature system for the N-terminal acetyltransferases (NATs) and methods for studying protein N-terminal acetylation in vitro and in vivo