FDG-PET staging and importance of lymph node SUV in head and neck cancer

OBJECTIVES: The role of positron emission tomography (PET) with fluoro-deoxy-glucose (FDG) in the staging of head and neck cancer (HNC) is unclear. The NCCN guidelines do not recommend FDG-PET as a part of standard workup. The purpose of this report is to examine the role of FDG-PET imaging in altering management and providing prognostic information for HNC. METHODS: Retrospective review of HNC patients who had a staging FDG-PET scan performed at either Thomas Jefferson University or University of Kansas Medical Center between the years 2001 and 2007. A total of 212 PET scans were performed in patients who went on to receive radiotherapy. RESULTS: The median follow-up time for all patients was 469 days. The PPV and NPV of PET imaging to correctly identify lymph node status was 94% and 89% respectively. Lymph nodes with extracapsular extension (ECE) had higher SUVs than nodes without ECE, 11.0 vs. 5.0 (p \u3c 0.0007). Maximum SUV for the primary tumor \u3e 8.0 was predictive of worse overall survival (p \u3c 0.045), while the SUV of the lymph nodes was predictive for distant recurrence at one year--with a mean SUV value of 10.4 for patients with distant failure vs. 7.0 without (p \u3c 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: FDG-PET staging in head and neck cancer has good positive and negative predictive values in determining lymph node status. The maximum SUV of the primary tumor is predictive of overall survival. This is the first report to find that the SUV of a lymph node is predictive for ECE and also for distant recurrence

Trichoderma aureoviride: phylogenetic position and characterization

The identity of strains identified as Trichoderma aureoviride/Hypocrea aureoviridis was reconsidered. Trichoderma aureoviride was isolated originally from a specimen identified as H. aureoviridis and thus is H. aureoviridis. The morphological and molecular characters of most strains identified as T. aureoviride differ from those of the ex-type but are more typical of T. harzianum, a member of sect. Pachybasium. Molecular data do not support inclusion of T. aureoviride in sect. Trichoderma, nor was there strong phenotypic similarity between H. aureoviridis and H. rufa. In the ITS phylogeny the T. aureoviride ex-type and other collections of H. aureoviridis form a strongly supported clade that is separate from any other recognized section of Trichoderma. Hypocrea vinosa, which was originally included in the T. aureoviride aggregate species concept, is distinct from T. aureoviride, but closely allied with H. rufa/T. viride. Trichoderma aureoviride/H. aureoviridis is a rare species, restricted to the UK and the Netherlands. We redefine T. aureoviride, limiting it to strains with very slow growth rate, effuse conidiation, and the ITS-1 and 2 sequence type D.Peer Reviewe

The branch processes of vortex filaments and Hopf Invariant Constraint on Scroll Wave

In this paper, by making use of Duan's topological current theory, the evolution of the vortex filaments in excitable media is discussed in detail. The vortex filaments are found generating or annihilating at the limit points and encountering, splitting, or merging at the bifurcation points of a complex function $Z(\vec{x},t)$. It is also shown that the Hopf invariant of knotted scroll wave filaments is preserved in the branch processes (splitting, merging, or encountering) during the evolution of these knotted scroll wave filaments. Furthermore, it also revealed that the "exclusion principle" in some chemical media is just the special case of the Hopf invariant constraint, and during the branch processes the "exclusion principle" is also protected by topology.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Antagonist potential of Trichoderma indigenous isolates for biological control of Phytophthora palmivora the causative agent of black pod disease on cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) in Côte d’Ivoire

The biodiversity of Trichoderma isolates from cocoa rhizosphere in cocoa production areas of Côte d’Ivoire, and their antagonist potential with Phytophthora palmivora using in vitro assays and bioassays, were investigated and screened for field trials. A total of 135 isolates were analysed at the species level by using sequence analysis of ITS1 and 2 of the rRNA region and a fragment of translation elongation factor 1a (tef1) gene. Sixty-four isolates were identified as T. virens, 60 as T. harzianum, 7 as T. spirale, two as T. asperellum and two unidentified. Forty-three Trichoderma isolates were in vitro confronted with P. palmivora on agar plates, and their antagonist activity was further evaluated by the damages on leaf discs and detached pods. Twenty-five isolates reduced the mycelial growth of P. Palmivora more than 50%. The isolate T17 assigned to T .virens was the best to reduce mycelium growth upto 97.9%. All of Trichoderma isolates with the exception of isolate T39 reduced foliar sensitivity to P. palmivora. Tweenty-six Trichoderma isolates reduced the pod sensitivity to P. palmivora more than 50%. Based on the combined analysis, T. virens T7, T. harzianum T40, T. asperellum T54 and T. spirale T4 isolates were selected for field trials

A further investigation of the cytochrome b5–cytochrome c complex

J Biol Inorg Chem (2003) 8: 777–786The interaction of reduced rabbit cytochrome b5 with reduced yeast iso-1 cytochrome c has been studied through the analysis of 1H–15N HSQC spectra, of 15N longitudinal (R1) and transverse (R2) relaxation rates, and of the solvent exchange rates of protein backbone amides. For the first time, the adduct has been investigated also from the cytochrome c side. The analysis of the NMR data was integrated with docking calculations. The result is that cytochrome b5 has two negative patches capable of interacting with a single positive surface area of cytochrome c. At low protein concentrations and in equimolar mixture, two different 1:1 adducts are formed. At high concentration and/or with excess cytochrome c, a 2:1 adduct is formed. All the species are in fast exchange on the scale of differences in chemical shift. By comparison with literature data, it appears that the structure of one 1:1 adduct changes with the origin or primary sequence of cytochrome b5

Mouse Tracking Algorithm Based on the Multiple Model Kalman Filter Design and Implementation of Ophthalmological Corrector

The article deals with a software implementation of the ophthalmologic corrector. The corrector is perceived as a medical device for a correction of the amblyopia. During the exercise, children are requested to draw a template, which is placed on a metal board. This therapeutic procedure has been used in clinical practice for many years. There is a big disadvantage of using the mentioned device. There is no any manageable way for storing and archiving patient’s data. Furthermore, exercise must be performed on the clinical workplace. Due to these facts, we are interested in software design and implement the ophthalmologic corrector. The proposed corrector is based on a mouse-tracking algorithm, which is able to perform the tracking of the mouse movement in the form of continuous line. Formed line overlaps the selected template. This procedure allows the identification of the real time accuracy and distance of the generated line from a given template. Furthermore, the algorithm allows for storing the achieved results for further data processing. It is a required tool for assessment and plan of therapeutic treatment in the field of ophthalmology