Comparison of DNA histograms by standard flow cytometry and image cytometry on sections in Barrett's adenocarcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of this study was to compare DNA histograms obtained by standard flow cytometry (FC) and high fidelity image cytometry on sections (ICS) in normal gastrointestinal mucosa and Barrett's adenocarcinoma (BAC).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of 10 normal controls from 10 subjects and 42 BAC tissues from 17 patients were examined. DNA FC was performed using standard techniques and ICS was carried out by Automated Cellular Imaging System (ACIS). DNA ploidy histograms were classified into diploid with peak DNA index (DI) at 0.9–1.1, and aneuploid with peak DI > 1.1. DI values of aneuploid peaks were determined. Additionally, for DNA ICS, heterogeneity index (HI) representing DNA content heterogeneity, and histograms containing cells with DI > G2 were also identified.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All control samples were diploid by both FC and ICS analyses. In BAC, FC showed diploid peaks in 29%, diploid peaks with additional aneuploid or tetraploid peaks in 57%, and 14% of the samples, respectively. In contrast, ICS showed aneuploid peaks in all the cases with peak DI > 1.25; 37 cases had peak DI between 1.25 and 2.25; and 5 cases had peak DI > 2.25. HI values (mean ± SD) were 11.3 ± 1.1 in controls and 32.4 ± 8.5 in BAC (p < 0.05). Controls had no G2 exceeding cells. However, 19/37 (51%) of the cases with primary peak DI < 2.25 had cells exceeding 9N.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>ICS detects DNA aneuploidy in all BAC samples while FC missed the diagnosis of aneuploidy in 29%. In addition, ICS provides more information on HI and G2 exceeding rates.</p

Priority questions in multidisciplinary drought research

Addressing timely and relevant questions across a multitude of spatio-temporal scales, state-of-the-art interdisciplinary drought research will likely increase in importance under projected climate change. Given the complexity of the various direct and indirect causes and consequences of a drier world, scientific tasks need to be coordinated efficiently. Drought-related research endeavors ranging from individual projects to global initiatives therefore require prioritization. Here, we present 60 priority questions for optimizing future drought research. This topical catalogue reflects the experience of 65 scholars from 21 countries and almost 20 fields of research in both natural sciences and the humanities. The set of drought-related questions primarily covers drought monitoring, impacts, forecasting, climatology, adaptation, as well as planning and policy. The questions highlight the increasingly important role of remote sensing techniques in drought monitoring, importance of drought forecasting and understanding the relationships between drought parameters and drought impacts, but also challenges of drought adaptation and preparedness policies

PIK3CA mutations are common in lobular carcinoma in situ, but are not a biomarker of progression

Sample and data collection were funded by Cancer Research UK. Analysis was funded by Breast Cancer Now, the Rosetrees Trust, Guys & St Thomas’ Charity (CanHelp) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre based at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London

Arqueologia e história indígena no Pantanal

O artigo apresenta uma síntese dos dados arqueológicos sobre o Pantanal e o seu entorno, principalmente em Mato Grosso e Mato Grosso do Sul. Elaborado com base na noção de arqueologia como história indígena de longa duração, o artigo considera as trajetórias de estabelecimento e consolidação territorial da ocupação indígena regional, os processos de formação da configuração etnográfica encontrada pelos europeus e os impactos do colonialismo. O principal objetivo consiste em mostrar que a diversidade cultural característica do cenário etnográfico pantaneiro está associada à dinâmica histórica e cultural da ocupação indígena desde períodos anteriores à chegada dos conquistadores e colonizadores de origem europeia.The article presents an overview of the archaeological data on the Pantanal and its surrounding areas, mainly in Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. Prepared based on the notion of archeology as long term indigenous history, the article considers the trajectories of territorial establishment and consolidation of the regional indigenous occupation, the formation processes of ethnographic setting found by Europeans and the impact of colonialism. The main objective is to show that cultural diversity characteristic of the Pantanal ethnographic scenario is associated with historical and cultural dynamics of indigenous occupation from periods prior to the arrival of the conquistadors and settlers of European origin

Sea level variability at Adriatic coast and its relationship to atmospheric forcing

Sea level (SLH) variability at the Adriatic coast was investigated for the period 1872–2001 using monthly average values of observations at 13 tide gauge stations. Linear trends and seasonal cycles were investigated first and removed afterwards from the data. Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOF) analysis was used further on remaining anomalies (SLA) to extract the regional intermonthly variability of SLH. It was found that the leading EOF and its principal component (PC) explain a major part of SLA variability (92%). The correlation between the reconstructed SLA, based on leading EOF and its PC, and overlapping observed SLA values for selected tide gauge stations is between 0.93 and 0.99. Actual SLH values at tide gauge stations can be reconstructed and some gaps in the data can be filled in on the basis of estimated SLA values if reasonable estimates of long-term trends and seasonal cycles are also available. A strong, seasonally dependent relationship between SLA at the Adriatic coast and atmospheric forcing, represented by sea level pressure (SLP) fields, was also found. Comparing the time series of leading PC and gridded SLP data for the period 1948–2001, the highest correlation coefficients (&lt;i&gt;r&lt;/i&gt;) of –0.92 in winter, –0.84 in spring, –0.66 in summer, and –0.91 in autumn were estimated for a SLP grid point located in northern Italy. The SLP variability on this grid point contains information about the isostatic response of the sea level at the Adriatic coast, but can also be treated as a sort of teleconnection index representing the large-scale SLP variability across central and southern Europe. To some extent the large-scale SLP variability that affects the SLA at the Adriatic coast can be related to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), because significant correlations were found between the NAO index and the first PC of SLA (&lt;i&gt;r&lt;sub&gt;winter&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/i&gt;=–0.56, &lt;i&gt;r&lt;sub&gt;spring&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/i&gt;=–0.45, &lt;i&gt;r&lt;sub&gt;summer&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/i&gt;=–0.48, and &lt;i&gt;r&lt;sub&gt;autumn&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/i&gt;=–0.43) for the period 1872–2001. The use of partial least-squares (PLS) regression between large-scale SLP fields and SLA only slightly improved the description of the SLA dependence on SLP forcing in comparison to the single grid point approach. A strong relationship between atmospheric pressure and the sea level could represent an additional possibility for filling in the gaps in the tide gauge data.&lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Keywords.&lt;/b&gt; Oceanography: general (Climate and interannual variability) – Oceanography: physical (Air-sea interactions; sea level variations