Creating point sources for codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) with low-volume sprays of a microencapsulated sex pheromone formulation.

Studies were conducted to examine the deposition of microcapsules and the attractiveness of treated apple leaves, Malus domestica Borkhausen, for codling moth, Cydia pomonella L., after low-volume concentrated sprays [24.7 g (AI) in 12 liters of water/ha] of a microencapsulated (MEC) sex pheromone formulation (CheckMate CM-F). Nearly 30% of leaves collected from sprayed zones within tree canopies had no microcapsules, whereas 20% had >20 microcapsules. Microcapsule density was correlated with leaf area, and significant differences in the density of microcapsules per leaf were found because of both height and depth in the canopy relative to the sprayed zone and leaf surface. In general, the highest concentration of microcapsules was deposited on the underside of leaves in the sprayed zone. However, deposition was greater on the upper than the bottom surface of leaves in the canopy below the spray zone and in the tops of trees on the opposite side of the canopy. Field-aged MEC-treated apple leaves elicited upwind flight and moth contact in flight tunnel tests for at least 5 wk. Precipitation reduced the attractiveness of leaves, particularly for leaves treated only on their upper versus bottom surface. Traps in unsprayed orchards baited with MEC-treated artificial leaves were attractive for 5 wk. Moth catches in similar traps placed in MEC-sprayed plots were low but increased significantly over 3-4 wk. These data suggest that, after a brief initial period of sensory disruption, low-volume MEC sprays create point sources of sex pheromone (leaves) within the orchard that may enhance mating disruption through competitive attraction.

Rainfastness of a microencapsulated sex pheromone formulation for codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae).

The rainfastness of a microencapsulated sex pheromone formulation for codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), was evaluated in a series of laboratory experiments with detached apple, pear, and walnut leaves. Increasing the intensity and duration of simulated rainfall significantly increased the removal of microcapsules from both the top and bottom of apple leaves. The removal of microcapsules was significantly higher from the top versus the bottom of leaves at all rates tested. Leaf angle was a significant factor affecting the removal of microcapsules from the top surface of apple leaves with fewer microcapsules removed, because leaves were oriented with a steeper downward angle. Both leaf surfaces of apple and pear retained a higher proportion of microcapsules than walnut leaves, and the bottom surface of apple leaves retained significantly more than pear leaves. Three spray adjuvants were evaluated as stickers for microcapsules. No difference was found in the number of microcapsules deposited on apple leaves among three stickers tested at rates from 0.06 to 0.25%. However, in a second test a latex sticker significantly increased the deposition of microcapsules on apple leaves compared with a polyvinyl polymer and a pine resin sticker at a rate of 0.06%. Significantly more microcapsules were retained on the bottom versus the top of apple leaves with all stickers. The latex and polyvinyl stickers significantly increased the retention of microcapsules versus the pine resin sticker and the control on apple leaves. In another test, the addition of 0.06% latex sticker did not increase the deposition of microcapsules on any of the three leaf types. However, the addition of the latex sticker significantly increased the retention of microcapsules on the top of apple and pear leaves and the bottom of apple leaves. The addition of a latex sticker did not affect the retention of microcapsules on walnut leaves.

[Mucosal malignant melanomas of the head and neck]. / Slimhinnederiverte maligne melanomer i hodet og halsområdet.

Mucosal malignant melanomas in the head and neck are most frequently located in the nose and sinuses. The tumours are rare, the clinical course unpredictable and the prognosis poor. 13 patients were presented with malignant melanoma in nose and sinuses in the ENT department, Ullevål Hospital, in the course of 30 years. Average age at presentation was 72 years; there were eight women and five men. Ten patients were primarily operated, and two of these received postoperative irradiation. Three patients received only palliative treatment. Four patients are alive, observation time respectively ten, seven and approximately two years (two patients). Several of the dead patients had long observation periods before death and several had operations for recurrences. The longest observed survival was 19 years. All tumours had histological characteristics indicating aggressive growth. The material is too small and sampled over too long a period for conclusions to be drawn with regard to the effect of different treatment modalities.

[Prevention and early diagnosis of malignant melanoma]. / Forebygging og tidlig diagnostisering av malignt melanom.

A Norwegian melanoma project was carried out in 1989-1993 as a joint study by the dermatological, surgical, oncological, and pathological departments at the five university hospitals in Norway, Of 4,582 patients (2,894 women, 1,688 men) diagnosed and treated at the Department of Dermatology, Ullevål Hospital, 1,347 patients (833 women, 514 men) were included in the analysis, which consisted of a clinical evaluation and pathological investigation of their excised pigmented lesions. In all, 66 malignant melanomas were diagnosed, including 50 superficial spreading melanomas, seven lentigo maligna melanomas, eight nodular melanomas, and one acral lentiginous melanoma. Persons with red hair and skin type I/II were at increased risk of developing malignant melanoma. Superficial spreading melanomas excised during the study period had a significant lower histological thickness compared with those lesions excised before the study period.

[Biopsy in non-neoplastic skin diseases]. / Biopsi ved ikke-neoplastiske hudlidelser.

The Department of Dermatology at Ullevål Hospital wanted to reveal any diagnostical problems with skin biopsies taken from patients in the Out-patient Clinic. 200 non-tumour skin biopsies from 200 patients were studied retrospectively (100 biopsies from 1986 and 100 from 1995/96). The tentative diagnosis coincided with the pathological anatomical diagnosis in 57.5%(n = 115) of the cases. Of the 200 patients, 22%(n = 44) had still not been given a specific diagnosis after biopsy. This study indicates that skin biopsy is of diagnostical help, but that closer cooperation between the pathologist and the clinician is probably necessary in order to increase the proportion of specific dermatological diagnoses.

Aneuploidy in benign tumors and nonneoplastic lesions of musculoskeletal tissues.

BACKGROUND: Aneuploidy in DNA flow cytometry (FCM) of musculoskeletal tumors is generally considered to be a sign of malignancy. Previously, giant cell tumor of the bone has been reported to contain aneuploid (near-diploid) DNA stemlines. Otherwise, only spordic cases have been reported. The authors wanted to study the relationships among DNA FCM, histology, and clinical course of nonmalignant musculoskeletal lesions. METHODS: Twenty-eight histologically benign tumors and seven nonneoplastic lesions were subjected to DNA FCM: After tissue preparation mechanically and with ribonuclease and trypsin, the isolated nuclei were stained with propidium iodine using chicken and rainbow trout erythrocytes as controls. In the DNA FCM histograms, ploidy and cell cycle fractions were determined using a computerized mathematical model. The histologic diagnoses were made without knowledge of the DNA FCM results. RESULTS: Aneuploidy was found in eight lesions. A shoulder in the diploid peak, suggesting a diploid and a near-diploid population, was found in DNA histograms of a condensing osteitis of the clavicle (a benign inflammatory process) and of a giant cell tumor of bone. The latter lesion also had a tetraploid population. Six benign tumors--two enchondromas, one osteochondroma, one subcutaneous and one intramuscular lipoma, and a calcifying aponeurotic fibroma--showed clear aneuploidy with separate peaks. The S-phase fraction was less than 10% in all cases. The highest aneuploid population, DNA index = 1.70, in a subcutaneous lipoma, was small, with an undetectable S phase. Despite nonradical operations in seven lesions, no recurrences were observed during a median follow-up of 49 months (range, 28-73 months). CONCLUSIONS: Small aneuploid populations with low DNA synthetic activity may be compatible with a benign histologic picture and uneventful clinical course of the musculoskeletal lesion.

The clinical importance of DNA synthesis and aneuploidy in bone and soft tissue tumours.

DNA flow cytometric analysis including the analysis of S-phase fraction was performed on 46 bone and soft tissue tumours. Histologically, 24 lesions were benign, 11 were low grade and 11 were high grade malignant tumours. The percentages of aneuploidy in these groups were 29, 54 and 82, respectively. The S-phase fraction was smaller than 14% in all benign tumours. High S-phase fraction (> or = 14%) was found in 3 out of 11 low-grade tumours (27%) and in 9 out 11 high-grade tumours (82%). Seven of nine patients who died of metastatic disease during the average 5 year follow-up had aneuploid stemlines with S-phase fraction higher than 14%. Histologically, these were all high-grade tumours. Three patients with high S-phase in low-grade tumours survived. We conclude that high DNA synthetic activity in an aneuploid population, more than the DNA aneuploidy alone, has prognostic significance in musculoskeletal tumours.

Serum carotene concentrations in normal infants and children.

The blood of 444 healthy Canadian children (246 males and 198 females) aged 6 days to 18 years was analyzed to determine the concentration of serum carotene. The serum carotene concentration was very low in the first six months of life. In the first three months of life, breast fed infants had significantly higher serum carotene concentration than infants who were formula fed. Infants 7 to 12 months of age had the highest serum carotene concentration. The serum carotene concentration dropped off after the age of one year and remained low until two years of age. After two years of age, the serum carotene concentration showed a progressive and small rise until the age of six to seven years and then fell until the age of 14 to 18 years. The serum carotene concentration did not appear to vary according to the sex of the child except for infants 7 to 12 months of age. In infants 7 to 12 months of age, girls had a higher serum carotene concentration. The measurement of the serum carotene concentration is a simple screening test for fat malabsorption. Our study provides the normal range of serum carotene concentration for children of various age groups.

The inhibiting effect of PABA on photocarcinogenesis.

The efficacy of a 5% solution of para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) to protect against photocarcinogenesis was tested in 6 groups, each of which contained 30 light pigmented hairless mice. The light source was a Phillips TL 40 W/12, which mainly emits UVB. PABA significantly retarded the tumor induction time (p less than 0.05) and reduced both tumor yield and carcinoma yield (p less than 0.05). The dorsal skin of the mice was removed and weighed. The mean weight of UVR-exposed mice skin protected with PABA did not differ from that of the controls, but in the non-protected UVR-exposed mice the skin samples were significantly heavier (p less than 0.05).

Seasonal variations of pigmented naevi. Intercorrelations of clinical and histological variables with special reference to seasonal variation.

During 1984, junctional and compound naevi were registered significantly more often during the summer half-year (May-October) than the total number of naevi, which showed no seasonal variation. A series of 342 of these junctional and compound naevi have been the subject of a blind histological classification. Clinical information was obtained by a questionnaire mailed to the patients. The intercorrelations of 19 histological and 10 clinical variables were studied by chi 2-test. The seasonal variation of these variables was further studied by chi 2-test and by Hewitt's test. Patient's hair colour, eye colour and sex as well as mitoses and localization showed a significant correlation to season of the year. The trends of these findings, compared with the information about tumour duration, indicate a short-term latency effect of UV light on naevi which are excised during the summer half-year.

Growth stimulation by giant-cell tumor of bone? A case report.

Overgrowth of the femur and tibia was observed in a 20-year-old man who had a giant cell tumor in his distal femur. Growth stimulation by the tumor is suggested to explain the overgrowth.

Clinical and histological intercorrelations in pigmented naevi indicating potential melanoma precursor lesions.

A series of 577 pigmented naevi from an equal number of patients has been studied histopathologically without access to clinical information. Later the histological findings have been compared with clinical information obtained by sending a questionnaire to the patients. The correlations between the many histological and clinical variables have been studied. Patients with a red or fair hair colour, a freckled, easily sunburnt skin type and/or a poor suntanning ability have the tendency to develop irregular and atypical naevi. Histological variables like nuclear atypia, mitoses, lymphocyte reaction, fibrosis and "shoulder"-phenomenon regarding the growth pattern of naevi are correlated to this delicate skin type. These findings support til theory that irregular and atypical naevi may be potential precursors to malignant melanomas as patients with this skin type belong to the melanoma risk group.

The evaluation of possible melanoma risk groups of patients in a series of pigmented naevi. Clinical and histological intercorrelations.

The trends of the clinical/histological intercorrelations in two series of pigmented naevi have been compared. One series of naevi represents patients who are habitual sunbathers and/or who have travelled to Southern sunny climates. The other series includes naevi from easily sunburned patients. The sunburner-group is correlated to histological features such as mitoses, atypia and fibrosis of the tumour as well as to an irregular/atypical tumour type. Such trends are not found in the other target group. The sunburners have a poor ability to suntan, while the sunbather group includes good suntanners. This indicates the importance of the melanin UV-filter effect of the skin as a protection against the promotion of potential MM-precursors, such as irregular/atypical naevi.

Scleredema adultorum associated with a monoclonal gammopathy and generalized hyperpigmentation.

Scleredema associated with a monoclonal gammopathy and generalized skin pigmentation is described in a 56-year-old man with hyperlipoproteinemia and cardiovascular disease. The patient had IgG-lambda paraproteinemia, without any evidence of multiple myeloma or immunoglobulin deposition in affected skin. Ultrastructural studies of pigmented lesional skin showed increased transfer of melanosomes to basal keratinocytes and dermal melanophages containing complex melanosomes. In addition, cytoplasmic, electron-opaque lipid droplets were seen in approximately every third keratinocyte or melanocyte, while only an occasional dermal cell contained lipid droplets. The hyperpigmentation appeared to be directly related to the scleredema, while the lipid deposition in skin was a likely consequence of the hyperlipoproteinemia. The findings further support the contention that paraproteinemia and hyperpigmentation may, in some patients, be associated features of scleredema adultorum.

Epidermal and dermal distribution of a myelomonocytic antigen (L1) shared by epithelial cells in various inflammatory skin diseases.

The L1 antigen is a major cytosol component of human granulocytes that may also be expressed by macrophages and epithelial cells. Its epidermal and dermal occurrence was investigated in formalin-fixed routine biopsy material from eleven different inflammatory skin disorders. Localization was performed with a rabbit antiserum to L1 applied in an unlabeled antibody peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. L1 antigen was not found in normal skin except in epithelial cells of pilosebaceous units. However, epidermal L1 antigen was demonstrated in every biopsy specimen from lupus erythematosus, lichen planus, dermatitis herpetiformis, and atopic dermatitis, whereas granuloma annulare test results were usually negative. The occurrence of dermal L1 antigen depended on the composition of the inflammatory infiltrate; specimens rich in neutrophilic granulocytes (e.g., dermatitis herpetiformis) were particularly strongly stained. Extracellular dermal staining was also seen, especially in areas adjacent to accumulation of positive leukocytes. The varying epidermal occurrence of L1 antigen in skin diseases probably signified different degrees of proliferative activity of the epithelial cells and could apparently not be ascribed to uptake from the dermis.