The Accuracy of Survival Time Prediction for Patients with Glioma Is Improved by Measuring Mitotic Spindle Checkpoint Gene Expression

Identification of gene expression changes that improve prediction of survival time across all glioma grades would be clinically useful. Four Affymetrix GeneChip datasets from the literature, containing data from 771 glioma samples representing all WHO grades and eight normal brain samples, were used in an ANOVA model to screen for transcript changes that correlated with grade. Observations were confirmed and extended using qPCR assays on RNA derived from 38 additional glioma samples and eight normal samples for which survival data were available. RNA levels of eight major mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) genes (BUB1, BUB1B, BUB3, CENPE, MAD1L1, MAD2L1, CDC20, TTK) significantly correlated with glioma grade and six also significantly correlated with survival time. In particular, the level of BUB1B expression was highly correlated with survival time (p<0.0001), and significantly outperformed all other measured parameters, including two standards; WHO grade and MIB-1 (Ki-67) labeling index. Measurement of the expression levels of a small set of SAC genes may complement histological grade and other clinical parameters for predicting survival time

SMART: a planned ultrahigh-resolution spectromicroscope for BESSY II

A new UHV spectromicroscope called SMART (spectromicroscope for all relevant techniques) is currently under construction for a soft X-ray undulator beamline at BESSY II. The instrument consists of a plane-grating monochromator with an aspherical focusing mirror and an ultrahigh-resolution, low-energy electron microscope containing an energy filter. It can be used as a photoemission microscope for a variety of electron spectroscopies (XAS, XPS, UPS, XAES) and has a calculated spatial resolution of better than 1 nm. A maximum energy resolution of about 0.1 eV will be provided by a corrected omega filter. The high lateral resolution of the electron microscope will be achieved through the correction of the chromatic and spherical aberrations of the objective lens by means of an electrostatic mirror in combination with a corrected magnetic beam separator. An additional electron source placed on the other side of the beam separator opposite the electrostatic mirror will also allow LEEM, MEM and small-spot LEED investigations to be carried out. The basic ideas, the various modes of operation and the electron optical design of the instrument are outlined