A Bast-like valve in the pigeon?

The first description of the presence of a utriculo-endolymphatic valve in human fetuses was given by Bast in 1928. Since then this valve-like structure is called Bast’s valve. Its exact function has not yet been established. The general opinion is that it has a protective function by having the possibility to separate the superior endolymphatic compartments of the labyrinth from the inferior compartment. Phylogenetically seen birds are the first vertebrates with a cochlear duct and a distinct inferior and superior part of the labyrinth. A structure in the pigeon inner ear, resembling Bast’s valve in mammals, is described

Tumor markers in breast cancer - European Group on Tumor Markers recommendations

Recommendations are presented for the routine clinical use of serum and tissue-based markers in the diagnosis and management of patients with breast cancer. Their low sensitivity and specificity preclude the use of serum markers such as the MUC-1 mucin glycoproteins ( CA 15.3, BR 27.29) and carcinoembryonic antigen in the diagnosis of early breast cancer. However, serial measurement of these markers can result in the early detection of recurrent disease as well as indicate the efficacy of therapy. Of the tissue-based markers, measurement of estrogen and progesterone receptors is mandatory in the selection of patients for treatment with hormone therapy, while HER-2 is essential in selecting patients with advanced breast cancer for treatment with Herceptin ( trastuzumab). Urokinase plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 are recently validated prognostic markers for lymph node-negative breast cancer patients and thus may be of value in selecting node-negative patients that do not require adjuvant chemotherapy. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

Low collectivity of the 2(1)(+) state of Po-212

International audienceThe lifetime of the $2^+_1$ state of $^{212}$Po was measured in the $^{208}$Pb($^{12}$C,$^{8}$Be)$^{212}$Po transfer reaction by γ -ray spectroscopy employing the recoil distance Doppler shift (RDDS) method. The derived absolute B(E2) value of 2.6(3)W.u. indicates a low collectivity and contradicts previous claims of α-cluster components in the structure of the $2^+_1$ state. It is demonstrated that a consistent description of the properties of the $2^+_1$−$4^+_1$−$6^+_1$−$8^+_1$ sequence in $^{212}$Po cannot be achieved in the framework of a single-j shell-model calculation, either. This puzzle is traced to the properties of the seniority-2 configurations in $^{210}$Pb and $^{210}$Po

Low collectivity of the first 2⁺ states of ²¹²,²¹⁰Po

The lifetimes of the first 2⁺ excited states of ²¹²,²¹⁰Po were measured in two transfer reactions ²⁰⁸Pb(¹²C,⁸Be)²¹²Po and ²⁰⁸Pb(¹²C,¹⁰Be)²¹⁰Po by the Recoil Distance Doppler Shift (RDDS) method and by the Doppler Shift Attenuation method (DSAM), respectively. The derived absolute B(E2) values of 2.6(3) W.u. for ²¹²Po and 1.83(28) W.u. for ²¹⁰Po indicate low collectivity. It is shown that the properties of the yrast 2₁⁺, 4₁⁺, 6₁⁺ and 8₁⁺ states in both nuclei cannot be described consistently in the framework of nuclear shell models. It is also demonstrated in the case of ²¹⁰Po that Quasi-particle Phonon Model (QPM) calculations cannot overcome this problem thus indicating the existence of a peculiarity which is neglected in both theoretical approaches

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field