Radiation mapping inside the bunkers of medium energy accelerators using a robotic carrier.

The knowledge of ambient and peak radiation levels prevailing inside the bunkers of the accelerator facilities is essential in assessing the accidental human exposure inside the bunkers and in protecting sensitive electronic equipments by minimizing the exposure to high intensity mixed radiation fields. Radiation field mapping dynamically, inside bunkers are rare, though generally dose-rate data are available in every particle accelerator facilities at specific locations. Taking into account of the fact that the existing neutron fields with a spread of energy from thermal up to the energy of the accelerated charged projectiles, prompt photons and other particles prevailing during cyclotron operation inside the bunkers, neutron and gamma survey meters with extended energy ranges attached to a robotic carrier have been used. The robotic carrier movement was controlled remotely from the control room with the help of multiple visible range optical cameras provided inside the bunkers and the wireless and wired protocols of communication helped its movement and data acquisition from the survey meters. Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata has positive ion accelerating facilities such as K-130 room Temperature Cyclotron, K-500 Super Conducting Cyclotron and a forthcoming 30 MeV Proton Medical Cyclotron with high beam current. The dose rates data for K-130 Room Temperature Cyclotron, VECC were collected for various energies of alpha and proton beams losing their total energy at different stages on different materials at various strategic locations of radiological importance inside the bunkers. The measurements established that radiation levels inside the machine bunker dynamically change depending upon the beam type, beam energy, machine operation parameters, deflector condition, slit placement and central region beam tuning. The obtained inference from the association of dose rates with the parameters like beam intensity, type and energy of projectiles, helped in improving the primary beam transmission and minimizing the ambient radiation fields inside the bunkers.

Role of therapeutic thoracentesis in tuberculous pleural effusion.

CONTEXT: Prevalence of tuberculous pleural effusion is very high in the Asian subcontinent but very few studies have come up from this part of the world about the course of recovery of pulmonary functions after institution of anti-tubercular therapy (ATT) and thoracentesis. AIMS: To study initial lung function impairment, changes over time after institution of ATT and thoracentesis and residual abnormalities left at the end of six months of treatment. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Randomized open level interventional study over two years in 52 patients at a tertiary level teaching hospital. METHODS: The study population was divided into two equal groups, A (therapeutic thoracentesis) and B (diagnostic thoracentesis). Spirometry, chest radiograph and ultrasonography of thorax were done initially and at each follow-up visit up to six months. Statistical analysis was done (P value < 0.05 considered significant). RESULTS: Both groups were comparable initially. After six months none in group A and five patients in group B had minimal pleural effusion. During follow up, mean percentage predicted of FEV1 and FVC increased more in A than in B and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Pleural thickening, initially absent in both groups, was found to be more in B as compared to A at subsequent follow-up visits and this was statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Thoracentesis should be considered in addition to anti-TB treatment, especially in large effusions, in order to relieve dyspnea, avoid possibility of residual pleural thickening and risk of developing restrictive functional impairment.

Primary adenocarcinoma of bladder--A case report.

A 24 years old male presented with haematuria. Ultrasonography depicted an echogenic mass on bladder wall, where prostate showed normal echo characters. Cystoscopy revealed a large papillary growth involving lateral wall, neck of the urinary bladder and prostatic urethra. Punched biopsy showed features of adenocarcinoma. Radical cystectomy was performed and it was reported as a case of primary adenocarcinoma of the urinary bladder.

Endometrioid carcinoma of uterus and ovary.

A thirty-two-year-old married woman presented with pain abdomen and polymenorrhoea. Her uterus was bulky and one of the fornices was full. USG of abdomen revealed unilateral ovarian tumour associated with a mass in the uterus. Histopathological report revealed synchronous endometrioid carcinoma of the uterus and the ovary with morphological evidences in favour of independent primary carcinomas. With these perspectives the present case is reported where endometrioid carcinomas of uterus and ovary are two separate primary tumours.

Urokinase-like plasminogen activator receptor expression on disseminated breast cancer cells.

Disseminated tumor cells are detected frequently in bone marrow, peripheral blood, and cytokine-mobilized peripheral blood cell products of women undergoing high-dose therapy for breast cancer. Several attempts were made to purge autografts from contaminating cancer cells; however, the biological and clinical impact of these contaminations has not been clarified so far. Expression of distinct phenotypes is a surrogate marker for metastatic behavior of cancer cells. The expression of the urokinase-like plasminogen activator receptor seems to be a factor of high importance. It is not expressed by normal mammary tissue. Disseminated cancer cells from marrow, blood, and stem cell products have been investigated by double-stain technique for urokinase-like plasminogen activator receptor (uPA-R) expressing cytokeratin-positive cells. uPA-R(+)/CK(+) cells could be found in all qualities of samples; however, significantly less in G-CSF-mobilized peripheral blood stem cells compared to samples of other provenance (p = 0.02). It can be concluded that epithelial cells of malignant phenotype occur in blood, marrow, and autografts of breast cancer patients. Populations of disseminated tumor cells are phenotypically heterogeneous. Reduced uPA-R expression on cancer cells from leukapheresis samples might suggest a less aggressive nature of these cells compared to disseminated cells found in bone marrow. Furthermore, the data suggest that the phenotype of tumor cell contamination in leukapheresis products differs significantly from those of disseminated cancer cells in bone marrow or blood.

Indole acetic acid production by a Rhizobium species from root nodules of a leguminous shrub, Cajanus cajan.

A Rhizobium sp. isolated from the root nodules of a leguminous pulse-yielding shrub, Cajanus cajan, was found to produce high amounts (99.7 microg/ml) of indole acetic acid (IAA) during growth in basal medium supplemented with L-tryptophan. The Rhizobium sp. was a fast growing species which reached its stationary phase at 28 h. The IAA production could be increased upto 653.3% over control by supplementing the carbon-free incubation medium with glucose (5 g/l), NiCl2 (10 microg/ml) and glutamic acid (0.5 g/l). The possible role of rhizobial IAA on the rhizobia-legume symbiosis is discussed.

Pulmonary epitheloid hemangioendothelioma: a peculiar rare tumor of vascular origin.

An extremely rare case of pulmonary epitheloid hemangioendothelioma (PEH), previously known as intravascular bronchoalveolar tumor (IVBAT), in a 38-year-old female is presented. This patient had a history of rheumatoid arthritis and bilateral multiple small pulmonary nodules which progressed over the years. The histopathological diagnosis of PEH was confirmed by immunohistochemical stains. Prognosis of this tumor is very unpredictable. There is no effective treatment for pulmonary epitheloid hemangioendothelioma.

Immunomagnetic tumor cell selection--implications for the detection of disseminated cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: The optimal method for the detection of disseminated epithelial cancer cells has not yet been found. The standard method, using immunocytochemistry, offers a sensitivity of up to 10(-6). Molecular methods such as cytokeratin-19 RT-PCR are about 10 times as sensitive, but they are hampered by interference such as illegitimate gene expression. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Immunomagnetic bead selection of epithelial cancer cells using conjugates directed against the human epithelial antigen (HEA) followed by immunocytochemistry testing was investigated in this trial. RESULTS: No cytokeratin-positive cells could be enriched from 56 control samples. In 104 clinical samples of bone marrow aspirations, PBPC collections, and venous blood obtained from breast cancer patients, the cytokeratin-positive rate increased significantly, from 29.9 percent before selection to 54.8 percent after enrichment. Even the yield of detected cancer cells was significantly higher after selection. Up to 2.5 x 10(8) MNCs were easily processed. However, the mean cancer cell recovery after HEA enrichment was only 24.4 percent. Subsequently, selected epithelial cells were successfully immunophenotyped by use of a double-stain technique detecting cytokeratin-positive cells and the urokinase-like plasminogen activator receptor. CONCLUSION: HEA bead selection in combination with the standard immunocytochemistry method is a powerful and specific tool for the detection of disseminated cancer cells without false-positive results. Furthermore, it delivers enough cells for subsequent investigations such as characterization studies.

Merkel cell carcinoma: an aggressive neoplasm.

This article presents a rare case of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) of the skin. This tumor is also known as trabecular carcinoma or cutaneous small cell undifferentiated carcinoma (CSCUC). This patient had a palpable non-tender mass in her right upper thigh and a large palpable lymph node in the right inguinal area. Microscopic examination revealed Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) in the skin of the upper thigh as well as in the inguinal lymph node. Immunoperoxidase stains confirmed the diagnosis. Due to its aggressiveness and very unfavorable prognosis, prompt diagnosis and adequate treatment are essential. Wide local excision with adequate margins followed by radiation therapy is the treatment of choice.

A case of cervical lymph node metastasis resulting from glioblastoma multiforme.

This article presents a rare case of metastatic glioblastoma multiforme (GM) to the cervical lymph node. In spite of very aggressive tumor behavior, extracranial metastasis from intra-cerebral GM is rare. Only a few cases are reported in the world literature. This infrequent extracranial metastasis may be due to the fact that patients do not live long enough to manifest metastases or result from the fact that brain tissue has some structural differences from other tissues in the body. This tumor can be easily mistaken for other anaplastic tumors like malignant melanoma, malignant lymphoma, or anaplastic carcinoma. Positive glial fibrillary acidic (GFA) protein stain (an immunoperoxidase stain) of this metastatic tumor can eliminate all other time consuming, expensive, and exhausting procedures for the patient.

Well-differentiated papillary villoglandular adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix.

This article presents a rare case of well-differentiated papillary villoglandular adenocarcima of the uterine cervix. This patient had vaginal bleeding and her disease was limited to the cervix. Since 1989, a total of 41 cases have been reported in the literature as a distinct entity. In the past, this tumor was included with other varieties of adenocarcinomas of the cervix and not as a separate entity. Due to its excellent prognosis, papillary villoglandular adenocarcinoma of the cervix, may be treated by a procedure less radical than a hysterectomy when the tumor is superficial with no vascular or lymphatic invasion. Recognition of this entity and separation from other varieties of adenocarcinomas of the uterine cervix are warranted.

Knowledge and attitude in relation to HIV/AIDS among in-service nurses of Calcutta.

Seventy-five senior nurses attending a workshop were surveyed with questionnaires and using two separate scales, their knowledge about transmission and precautionary measures, and their general attitude towards HIV/AIDS as well as willingness for patient-care were assessed. The nurses showed a satisfactory level of knowledge (mean percentage score 74.3), but misconceptions regarding disinfection and precautionary measures were present; 33% had overall negative attitudes and 24% unwilling to provide care for HIV-infected patients. Knowledge and attitude were positively correlated (r = .32). Knowledge deficits of some aspects of infection leading to fear of contagion and judgemental outlook towards HIV infection might lead to negative attitude impeding proper care. It is suggested that continuous in-service training be instituted to dispel misconceptions and to develop favourable and non-discriminatory attitude.

[Activity of superoxide dismutase and its isoenzyme during normal pregnancy]. / Aktywnosc dysmutazy ponadtlenkowej (SOD) i jej izoenzymów w przebiegu ciazy prawidlowej.

High activity of SOD was found in erythrocytes and blood plasma in 38-40 weeks of uncomplicated pregnancy. Changes of SOD isoenzymes in blood plasma were found in course of pregnancy.

Interaction of organophosphorus insecticides phosphamidon & malathion on lipid profile & acetylcholinesterase activity in human erythrocyte membrane.

The organophosphorus insecticides phosphamidon and malathion were found to inhibit the activity of human acetylcholinesterase in vitro, in the human erythrocyte membrane. Lineweaver-Burk analysis indicated that the insecticide induced inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity was uncompetitive in nature. The total lipid, cholesterol and phospholipid contents of erythrocyte membranes were reduced following phosphamidon and technical malathion treatment, while the level of lipid peroxidation was raised following malathion treatment.

Histopathological and immunological studies in a cohort of balanitis xerotica obliterans.

Balanitis xerotica obliterans consisting of 52 cases had been studied in the present series. This disease entity is an insidious sclerosing disease of unknown aetiology, affecting mainly the skin and mucous membrane of glans, prepuce and sometimes the fossa navicularis urethrae or even terminal urethra. Atrophic white patches on external genitalia and obstructive uropathy are two common presenting features. It has been classified as local form of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus. Poor local hygiene, circumcision and association of auto-immune diseases like vitiligo are responsible as suggested in this study. Routine tests detected associated cystitis in 8 cases, haematuria in 4 cases, non-reactive VDRL in all cases and impaired glucose tolerance in 5 cases. Immunoglobulin profile (39 cases) showed altered pattern, suggesting some chronic antigenic stimulation. Out of 33 cases where biopsy done, histologically proved typical balanitis xerotica obliterans was found in 19 cases. Malignant change was noted in one case only. Circumcision and dilatation offered temporary relief.

Detection of the Ki-67 antigen in fixed and wax-embedded sections with the monoclonal antibody MIB1.

Novel antibodies have been generated by immunizing with bacterially expressed fragments of the repetitive motif of the Ki-67 gene. One such antibody, MIB1, recognizes a fixation and embedding resistant epitope on the Ki-67 protein if sections are previously microwaved in a citrate buffer. We have investigated the utility of this antibody as a marker of cell proliferation in archival material. The microwave technique is simple but requires careful monitoring since different tissues and fixatives require different irradiation times. Strong nuclear immunoreactivity was detected with all fixatives studied. Cytoplasmic staining was not identified. In a wide range of normal tissues the distribution and number of MIB1 immunoreactive cells matched that of cryostat sections stained with Ki-67. In nude mouse xenografts in which the growth fraction had been defined using a fraction of labelled mitosis method, the labelling index with MIB1 matched that previously determined for Ki-67 and correlated well with the growth fraction. Other markers of proliferation (e.g. proliferating cell nuclear antigen) have been shown to be expressed in DNA repair, thus we investigated expression of MIB1 immunoreactivity in situations of DNA repair in vivo--ultraviolet irradiated human skin. MIB1 staining correlated with semi-conservative DNA synthesis rather than excision repair DNA synthesis. Finally, the morphological and cell cycle distribution of MIB1 expression is identical to that of Ki-67. Thus, MIB1 represents a new anti-Ki-67 antibody which appears to be a robust marker of cell proliferation easily applicable to archival material.

Effect of malathion on antioxidant defence system in human fetus--an in vitro study.

Malathion under in vitro condition even at lower concentration (250 ppm) altered the level of enzymes associated with glutathione cycle and antioxidant defence system in human fetal brain and liver. Such changes involved alterations in glutathione status and extent of lipid peroxidation. The inhibitory effect of malathion was dose dependent in case of human fetal brain and was more vulnerable than fetal liver. This alteration (inhibition or activation) was maximum in case of tissues from fetuses of early period of development, suggesting greater susceptibility of human fetus towards this organophosphorus insecticide.