Abstract Human prostate-specific antigen (hPSA, KLK3) and glandular kallikrein 2 (hK2, KLK2), two members of a large human tissue kallikrein enzyme family, were produced as recombinant mature proteins for the first time and characterized. Furthermore, their association with prostate cancer was studied. Both proteins were produced with baculovirus expression vector system in pilot-scale using bioreactors. Recombinant hPSA was either active with chymotrypsin-like activity or inactive with incorrect processing of N-terminus. The molecular weight of active recombinant hPSA was 31 kD and it formed stable complexes with serine protease inhibitors, α1-antichymotrypsin (ACT) and α2-macroglobulin (2αM). Two polymorphic forms of KLK2, Arg226hK2 and Trp226hK2, were found. The recombinant Arg226hK2 had trypsin-like activity, while recombinant Trp226hK2 was inactive. The Arg226hK2 was labile with low production yields. The molecular weights of hK2 polymorphic forms were 33 kD. hPSA isoforms secreted by prostate cancer cells, LNCaP, were isolated and characterized. These proteins were N-terminally heterogeneous: 10-60% of LNCaP-PSAs were correctly processed. Molecular modeling suggested that the additions or deletions of two or four N-terminal amino acids could affect the three-dimensional structure and reduce the activity of LNCaP-PSA. Active isoforms had chymotrypsin-like activity and formed stable complexes with ACT and 2αM. The expression of hPSA and hK2 was studied with in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry techniques in benign and cancerous prostate tissue. hK2 mRNA was expressed at a significantly higher level in prostate cancer tissue than in benign prostate tissue (P < 0.0005). The hPSA mRNA expression levels were reversed (P = 0.06). In benign tissue, the mean level of hK2 mRNA was 82% of the respective value of hPSA (P < 0.003), whereas in tumor tissue the mean hK2 expression level was 21% higher than that of hPSA (P < 0.01). The results at protein level supported the mRNA findings. There was a correlation between hPSA and hK2 mRNA levels in both benign (r = 0.735; P < 0.01) and malignant (r = 0.767; P < 0.01) prostate tissue. It was shown with competitively differential PCR that the KLK2 gene was amplified in prostate tumor tissue, while the KLK3 gene was not. These results suggest that hK2 and hPSA have a diverse value in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Background: Feeding alfalfa hay is often recommended for its buffering components, like protein and calcium, to prevent lesions of the gastric mucosa in horses. Until now, there has been no information regarding the influence of alfalfa particle size on the gastric mucosa. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of feeding two alfalfa preparations with different particle sizes (alfalfa chaff vs alfalfa pellets) in comparison with grass hay on the gastric mucosa in weanling horses. We hypothesized that feeding a high proportion of fine alfalfa particles would negatively impact gastric mucosa and that feeding long alfalfa chaff would improve gastric mucosal health in weanlings. Results: Before weaning, the prevalence of gastric mucosa lesions (one or more lesions considering all locations in the stomach) was 84.3 %; at 14 days after weaning, it was almost 100 %. Before and after weaning, most of the lesions were found at the greater curvature of the squamous mucosa and at the lesser curvature. After weaning, gastric mucosal lesions at the pylorus were significantly more severe in the group fed alfalfa chaff (p = 0.002). In the other regions, no differences related to the feeding regimes were observed. Conclusions: Feeding alfalfa failed to improve gastric mucosal lesion scores in weanlings. Furthermore, foals fed alfalfa chaff had higher lesion scores at the pylorus. Alfalfa leaves contain a superior protein source and high amounts of calcium and magnesium, providing extra nutritional advantages in growing horses. At this time, either traditional grass hay rations or grass hay with alfalfa pellets can be recommended.

Introdução: Pacientes com Polipose Adenomatosa Familiar (PAF) tem maior risco de desenvolvimento de carcinoma duodenal em comparação com a população em geral, sendo a classificação de Spigelman adotada como método de estadiamento da adenomatose duodenal em doentes com PAF. No entanto, a relação entre a gravidade da polipose duodenal e variáveis clínicas não é bem compreendida. Objetivos: 1) Avaliar, através do método endoscópico, a prevalência e a intensidade da adenomatose duodenojejunal em pacientes com PAF em nosso meio. 2) Verificar a associação de variáveis clínicas, com a gravidade fenotípica da adenomatose duodenal e ampular. Metodologia: Foram estudados prospectivamente, 62 pacientes com diagnóstico de PAF, atendidos no Ambulatório de Poliposes Intestinais do Departamento de Gastroenterologia do Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade de São Paulo. Os pacientes foram submetidos à duodenoscopia, classificados segundo Spigelman e a presença ou não de adenomas ampulares. Os pacientes foram distribuídos em dois grupos: Estadio de Spigelman de 0 a II, e Estadio III e IV. Estes grupos foram relacionados com variáveis clínicas, tais quais: sexo, idade, antecedentes familiares positivos de PAF, tipo de cirurgia do cólon, e tipo de polipose colônica. Naqueles pacientes classificados como Spigelman III e IV foi realizada enteroscopia assistida por balão via anterógrada para avaliação do jejuno. Resultados: Quarenta e nove pacientes foram classificados como estadios de Spigelman 0, I ou II, e 13 pacientes como estadios III ou IV. A análise da correlação destes grupos foi estatisticamente significativa com a variável história familiar (p = 0,03). Naquelas famílias que apresentaram vários parentes inclusos neste estudo, observou-se estadio de Spigelman similar entre os diferentes parentes de cada família. Sete pacientes apresentaram adenomas menores da papila duodenal. A associação da presença de adenoma de papila com a variável manifestações extraintestinais (p= 0,009) foi estatisticamente significante na análise multivariável. Enteroscopia assistida por balão foi realizada em 12 pacientes, dos quais 10 apresentaram adenomas tubulares com displasia de baixo grau no jejuno proximal. Conclusões: 1. A prevalência da adenomatose duodenal avançada e de adenomas ampulares é clinicamente significativa na PAF em nosso meio. 2. A prevalência de adenomas jejunais em pacientes com adenomatose duodenal avançada é alta, apesar de não serem lesões clinicamente significativas. No entanto, enteroscopia deve ser indicada de forma individualizada em casos de polipose duodenal avançada na avaliação da extensão do acometimento jejunal. 3. A intensidade da adenomatose duodenal pode ser previsível a partir da gravidade da adenomatose duodenal de algum parente de primeiro grau. 4. A presença de manifestações extracolônicas reforça a necessidade de avaliação da região da papila de Vater, desde que houve associação independente entre a presença de adenomas ampulares e as mesmas / Background: Patients with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) have higher risk of duodenal cancer development compared with the general population. Spigelman classification has been adopted as the staging method of duodenal adenomatosis in patients with FAP. However, the relationship between the severity of duodenal polyposis and clinical variables is not well understood. Objectives: 1) To assess endoscopically, the prevalence and intensity of duodenojejunal adenomas in patients with FAP in our population. 2) To correlate clinical variables with the phenotypic severity of duodenal and ampullary adenomatosis. Methods: We prospectively studied 62 patients with FAP, attended at Intestinal polyposis Clinic of the Department of Gastroenterology, Clinics Hospital, University of São Paulo. Patients underwent duodenoscopy and were classified according to Spigelman and the presence or absence of ampullary adenomas. Patients were divided into two groups: Spigelman 0 to II and Stage III and IV. These groups were related to the clinical variables: gender, age, family history for FAP, type of colorectal surgery, and type of polyposis of the colon. Patients classified as Spigelman III and IV were submitted to balloon assisted enteroscopy for evaluation of the jejunum. Results: Forty-nine patients were staged as Spigelman 0, I or II, and 13 as stage III or IV. There was statistic significant correlation between these groups and family history (p = 0,03). Families that had several relatives included in this study showed that there was a similar Spigelman stage in different relatives of each family. Seven patients had minor ampullar adenomas. Association between ampullary adenomas and extraintestinal manifestations (p = 0.009) was statistically significant in multivariavel analysis. Balloon assisted enteroscopy was performed in 12 patients. Ten of those presented tubular adenomas with low grade dysplasia in the proximal jejunum. Conclusions: 1. The prevalence of advanced duodenal adenomatosis and ampullary adenomas is clinically significant in FAP patients of our population. 2. The prevalence of jejunal adenomas in patients with advanced duodenal adenomatosis is high, although lesions were not clinically significant. Indication for enteroscoDpy should be individualized in patients with advanced duodenal disease to evaluate jejunal disease. 3. The intensity of duodenal adenomatosis can be predicted upon the severity of duodenal polyposis of a first-degree relative. 4. The presence of extracolonic manifestations reinforces the importance for avaliation of the Vater Papilla since there was an independent association between ampullary adenomas and extracolonic manifestations

Magnification mammography is a special technique used in cases where breast complaints are noticed by a woman or when an abnormality is found in a screening mammogram. The carcinogenic risk in mammography is related to the dose deposited in the glandular tissue of the breast rather than the adipose, and Average Glandular Dose (AGD) is the quantity taken into consideration during a mammographic exam. Direct measurement of the AGD is not feasible during clinical practice and thus, the incident air Kinetic Energy Released per unit of MAss (KERMA) on the breast surface is used to estimate the glandular dose, with the help of proper conversion factors. Additional conversion factors adapted for magnification and tube voltage are calculated, using Monte Carlo simulation. The effect of magnification factor, tube voltage and various anode/filter material combinations on AGD, ESD and PDD is also studied. Results demonstrate that, for fixed glandularity, the estimation of AGD utilizing conversion factors depends on magnification factor, anode/filter combination and tube voltage applied. AGD was found to increase mainly with filter material’s kabsorption edge, filter’s Al thickness, anode material’s k-emission edge and tube voltage. Rh/Nb, W/Zr, W/Nb, W/Mo and Mo/Nb are combinations resulting in lower AGD and higher ESD, compared to the Mo/Mo one. / -

No description available.

Microarray expression analysis was carried out to identify genes with a role in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The U133A Affymetrix GeneChipRTM was used to determine the expression patterns of the 3p25.3-ptel genes represented on the microarray in 14 primary cultures of normal ovarian surface epithelial (NOSE) samples, 25 frozen malignant ovarian tumor samples and four EOC cell lines. Seven genes with differential expression patterns in the tumor samples compared to the NOSE samples were identified as candidates for further analysis, starting with ARPC4, SRGAP3 and ATP2B2. Although none of the candidates had been previously studied in ovarian cancer, several had either family or pathway members that had. Expression patterns seemed unaffected by either tumor histopathological subtype or the allelic imbalances observed with loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis. The absence of association with genomic context suggested that differential expression was the result of transcriptional regulation rather than direct targeting.

Introdução: Pacientes com Polipose Adenomatosa Familiar (PAF) tem maior risco de desenvolvimento de carcinoma duodenal em comparação com a população em geral, sendo a classificação de Spigelman adotada como método de estadiamento da adenomatose duodenal em doentes com PAF. No entanto, a relação entre a gravidade da polipose duodenal e variáveis clínicas não é bem compreendida. Objetivos: 1) Avaliar, através do método endoscópico, a prevalência e a intensidade da adenomatose duodenojejunal em pacientes com PAF em nosso meio. 2) Verificar a associação de variáveis clínicas, com a gravidade fenotípica da adenomatose duodenal e ampular. Metodologia: Foram estudados prospectivamente, 62 pacientes com diagnóstico de PAF, atendidos no Ambulatório de Poliposes Intestinais do Departamento de Gastroenterologia do Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade de São Paulo. Os pacientes foram submetidos à duodenoscopia, classificados segundo Spigelman e a presença ou não de adenomas ampulares. Os pacientes foram distribuídos em dois grupos: Estadio de Spigelman de 0 a II, e Estadio III e IV. Estes grupos foram relacionados com variáveis clínicas, tais quais: sexo, idade, antecedentes familiares positivos de PAF, tipo de cirurgia do cólon, e tipo de polipose colônica. Naqueles pacientes classificados como Spigelman III e IV foi realizada enteroscopia assistida por balão via anterógrada para avaliação do jejuno. Resultados: Quarenta e nove pacientes foram classificados como estadios de Spigelman 0, I ou II, e 13 pacientes como estadios III ou IV. A análise da correlação destes grupos foi estatisticamente significativa com a variável história familiar (p = 0,03). Naquelas famílias que apresentaram vários parentes inclusos neste estudo, observou-se estadio de Spigelman similar entre os diferentes parentes de cada família. Sete pacientes apresentaram adenomas menores da papila duodenal. A associação da presença de adenoma de papila com a variável manifestações extraintestinais (p= 0,009) foi estatisticamente significante na análise multivariável. Enteroscopia assistida por balão foi realizada em 12 pacientes, dos quais 10 apresentaram adenomas tubulares com displasia de baixo grau no jejuno proximal. Conclusões: 1. A prevalência da adenomatose duodenal avançada e de adenomas ampulares é clinicamente significativa na PAF em nosso meio. 2. A prevalência de adenomas jejunais em pacientes com adenomatose duodenal avançada é alta, apesar de não serem lesões clinicamente significativas. No entanto, enteroscopia deve ser indicada de forma individualizada em casos de polipose duodenal avançada na avaliação da extensão do acometimento jejunal. 3. A intensidade da adenomatose duodenal pode ser previsível a partir da gravidade da adenomatose duodenal de algum parente de primeiro grau. 4. A presença de manifestações extracolônicas reforça a necessidade de avaliação da região da papila de Vater, desde que houve associação independente entre a presença de adenomas ampulares e as mesmas / Background: Patients with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) have higher risk of duodenal cancer development compared with the general population. Spigelman classification has been adopted as the staging method of duodenal adenomatosis in patients with FAP. However, the relationship between the severity of duodenal polyposis and clinical variables is not well understood. Objectives: 1) To assess endoscopically, the prevalence and intensity of duodenojejunal adenomas in patients with FAP in our population. 2) To correlate clinical variables with the phenotypic severity of duodenal and ampullary adenomatosis. Methods: We prospectively studied 62 patients with FAP, attended at Intestinal polyposis Clinic of the Department of Gastroenterology, Clinics Hospital, University of São Paulo. Patients underwent duodenoscopy and were classified according to Spigelman and the presence or absence of ampullary adenomas. Patients were divided into two groups: Spigelman 0 to II and Stage III and IV. These groups were related to the clinical variables: gender, age, family history for FAP, type of colorectal surgery, and type of polyposis of the colon. Patients classified as Spigelman III and IV were submitted to balloon assisted enteroscopy for evaluation of the jejunum. Results: Forty-nine patients were staged as Spigelman 0, I or II, and 13 as stage III or IV. There was statistic significant correlation between these groups and family history (p = 0,03). Families that had several relatives included in this study showed that there was a similar Spigelman stage in different relatives of each family. Seven patients had minor ampullar adenomas. Association between ampullary adenomas and extraintestinal manifestations (p = 0.009) was statistically significant in multivariavel analysis. Balloon assisted enteroscopy was performed in 12 patients. Ten of those presented tubular adenomas with low grade dysplasia in the proximal jejunum. Conclusions: 1. The prevalence of advanced duodenal adenomatosis and ampullary adenomas is clinically significant in FAP patients of our population. 2. The prevalence of jejunal adenomas in patients with advanced duodenal adenomatosis is high, although lesions were not clinically significant. Indication for enteroscoDpy should be individualized in patients with advanced duodenal disease to evaluate jejunal disease. 3. The intensity of duodenal adenomatosis can be predicted upon the severity of duodenal polyposis of a first-degree relative. 4. The presence of extracolonic manifestations reinforces the importance for avaliation of the Vater Papilla since there was an independent association between ampullary adenomas and extracolonic manifestations

El cribado mamográfico o screening consiste en la exposición sistemática y organizada de mujeres asintomáticas a mamografía, con el fin de detectar precozmente cualquier enfermedad en sus primeras etapas. Sin embargo, la exposición de la mama a la radiación ionizante de un equipo mamográfico supone un riesgo para la salud de las mujeres estudiadas que es necesario estimar y controlar. Los métodos de Monte Carlo se utilizan en el transporte de radiación para estimar magnitudes dosimétricas, como la dosis absorbida, que está relacionada con el riesgo de exposición. Se ha modelado un equipo de mamografía mediante el código de Monte Carlo MCNP5 para la estimación de la dosis media glandular absorbida en la mama a través de medidas físicas del kerma en aire en la superficie de entrada (KASE) durante controles de calidad. Se han utilizado diferentes registros dosimétricos o tallies, como las F2, F4 y F5, aplicando diferentes técnicas de reducción de varianza (TRV). A partir de las dosis medias calculadas, se estimó el riesgo radiológico en el programa de cribado mamográfico de la Comunidad Valenciana mediante un modelo de riesgo multiplicativo derivado de procesos de Markov, considerando diferentes estudios de control: Life Span Study, los estudios de fluoroscopia de Canadá y Massachussets y los tratamientos de enfermedades benignas de mama en Suecia, entre otros. El estudio se aplicó a diferentes equipos de mamografía digital (CR y DR) implantados en el programa de cribado, para la evaluación de calidad de las diferentes tecnologías en lo que respecta a la dosis glandular absorbida. El detrimento radiológico medio ha sido inferior a 9 10-5 cánceres de mama inducidos en mujeres-año, entre todos los estudios de incidencia y mortalidad, e inferior a 6 10-5 cánceres mortales, mientras que para el caso de mamografía digital, la incidencia es inferior a 1.3 10-4 y la mortalidad a 8 10-5. Los riesgos radiológicos son mayores en las muestras poblacionales de equipos digitales po / Ramos Pascual, M. (2006). Evaluación de métodos de Monte Carlo de equipos de mamografía digital del programa de cribado de la Comunidad Valenciana [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/1861 / Palancia

Dorso-abdominal scent glands (= DAGs) of larvae represent one of apomorphic characters of insects order Heteroptera. These glands can persist until adults in different taxa. The persistence of DAGs were proved in the members of the family Acanthosomatidae. The ontogenetic development of DAGs cuticular structures were studied in all stadia, from 1st larval instar to adults of acanthosomatid Elasmucha ferrugata (Fabricius, 1787). The study concerned external structures and sculptures associated with DAG ostiole and areas of their surfaces, as well as internal structures, shape of gland reservoir and number of conducting ductules of proper glandular units. The light microscope and stereomicroscope and scanning electron microscope were used for this comprehensive study.

No description available.