Insecticidal and repellent activity of native and exotic lemongrass on Maize weevil.

Corn crop, due to its easy adaptation to the most diverse agroecosystems, spreads throughout the different regions of the world, making it one of the most important agricultural crops. In this crop, pest insects stand out for causing losses both in the field and in warehouses. The application of essential oils can be an important technique to be investigated in the management of insects due to its known insecticidal activity and low risk to the environment. The objective of the work was to value the insecticide and repellent effect of essential oils of exotic lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and native lemongrass (Elionurus sp.) for the management of maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais (Mots., 1855, Coleoptera: Curculionidae)). The chemical analysis of the oils made by CG-MS showed that the chemical composition of the native and exotic lemongrass is similar, however, the exotic species presented a greater number of compounds. The essential oils of native and exotic lemon grass have efficiency on maize weevil mortality, and it is verified that the increase in the applied dose reflects in a reduction in the insect's exposure time for death to occur. The essential oil of both species showed repellent capacity at all times evaluated. Thus, it can be said that both species have the capacity and potential to be used in the management of corn weevil, and can be an alternative for smallhorders farmers and organic production.

Chromosomal alterations in human pancreatic endocrine tumors.

Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) was used to investigate changes in DNA copy numbers in 25 paraffin-embedded samples of pancreatic endocrine tumors from 23 patients. Insulin was the dominant hormone in 12, glucagon in 7, somatostatin in 1, and pancreatic polypeptide in 2 tumors. One to 15 (mean, 8.1) changes in DNA copy numbers were observed in 22 of the 25 tumors. The most recurrent aberration, found in 68% of the tumors, involved gains in chromosome 7 with a minimal overlapping region at 7q11.2. Other frequent gains included chromosomes 19 (60%) and 14 (56%). Chromosome arm 20q was amplified in 48% of the cases with the minimal overlapping region of 20q11.1-13.1. The two most frequent DNA losses were found at 11q21-22 in 32% and at 11p13-15 in 24% of the cases. The amplified chromosomal regions contain several candidate genes that may be involved in islet cell tumorigenesis. The regions with most frequent losses are likely to contain still uncharacterized tumor suppressor genes. Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Transcription factor expression and hormone production in pancreatic AR42J cells.

AR42J is an exocrine pancreatic cell line that has been reported to differentiate towards an endocrine phenotype when stimulated with various growth factors, such as activin A, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), betacellulin or glucagon-like peptide 1. In our experiments, AR42J-B13 cells differentiated morphologically in response to the growth factor treatment as reported previously. However, they failed to express the insulin gene. We found that the cells did not express several transcription factors known to be found in the beta-cell, including Nkx6.1, isl-1, Pax4 and Pax6. In addition, the mRNA level for pdx-1 and Nkx2.2 were very low in comparison to the insulinoma cell lines INS-1 and RINm5F. However, some transcription factors typically found in beta-cells and neuroendocrine cells were expressed also in the AR42J-B13 cells. These included BETA2/NeuroD, HNF1alpha, C/EBPbeta and IA-1. Unlike the insulinoma cells, AR42J cells expressed the exocrine transcription factor p48. In order to induce endocrine differentiation, we transfected the AR42J-B13 cells with the full length cDNAs of isl-1, Nkx6.1, Nkx2.2 and pdx-1 under the control of the CMV promoter, both separately and in combinations. The expression of Nkx2.2 led consistently to the appearance of pancreatic polypeptide but not insulin, glucagon or somatostatin mRNA. The PP mRNA expression in Nkx2.2 cDNA transfected cells was independent of the growth factor treatment used for differentiating AR42J cells. In conclusion, the AR42J-B13 line possesses some features of a pancreatic neuroendocrine cell. However, we were unable to confirm the capacity of these cells to differentiate into insulin-producing cells. Our results indicate that Nkx2.2 plays a role in the transcriptional regulation of PP expression.

-Severe hemobilia after percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage. Successful treatment by arterial catheter embolization-. / Schwere Hämobilie nach perkutan-transhepatischer biliärer Drainage. Erfolgreiche Behandlung durch arterielle Katheterembolisation.

We report on an 44-year-old man with Billroth-I-reoperation and transformation into Roux-Y-anastomosis, which was performed because of ulcer-relapse. The postoperative course was complicated by obstructive jaundice and cholangitis. Ultrasound and computed tomography could not clarify the cause. The subsequently performed percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography showed several small concrements in the biliary tract. For decompression of the dilated bile ducts percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage was applied. Following that the patient developed recurrent episodes of hemobilia, which made the transfusion of altogether 17 units of blood necessary. Angiography clarified the bleeding source showing leakage of the right hepatic artery. By means of repeated selective transcatheter embolization definite hemostasis was achieved. Transcatheter embolotherapy is recommended as initial treatment to control serious iatrogenic hemobilia.

Neurons in cat primary auditory cortex sensitive to correlates of auditory motion in three-dimensional space.

Amplitude modulation at the receiver's ears is a characteristic of moving sound sources. When a sound source moves from side to side, stimulus intensity decreases in one ear and increases in the other. When a sound source moves toward or away from the organism, the two ears receive correlated increases or decreases in sound level. We recorded from single cells in the auditory cortex while presenting amplitude modulated pure tones to the two ears which stimulated motion either toward or away from the organism, or from side to side. Our results indicate that auditory cortex neurons can be highly sensitive to these correlates of auditory motion in three dimensional space. Three major classes of neurons were encountered. These included 1) neurons sensitive to azimuthal stimulus motion, 2) neurons sensitive to motion directly toward or away from the organism, and 3) monaural-like neurons. More toward-preferring neurons than away-preferring neurons were encountered, and more units preferred contralateral-directed than ipsilateral-directed movement. The different classes of direction-selective neurons were spatially segregated from each other within the cortex and appear to occur in columns. In addition to their selectivity for different directions of simulated sound source motion, auditory cortex neurons could also be highly selective to AM ramp rate and excursion; these are correlates of sound source velocity.

Auditory cortex neurons sensitive to correlates of auditory motion: underlying mechanisms.

Neuronal response properties such as phasic vs. tonic, onset vs. offset, monotonicity vs. non-monotonicity, and E/E vs. E/I, can be shown to act synergistically suggesting underlying mechanisms for selectivity to binaural intensity correlates of auditory sound source motion. Both identical (diotic), and oppositely directly dichotic AM ramps were used as stimuli in the lightly anesthetized cat, simulating motion in four canonical directions in 3-dimensional space. Motion in either azimuthal direction evokes selective activity in cells which respond best to the onset of monaural sound in one ear and show a decreased response to binaural stimulation (E/I or I/E). In some cells specificity is increased by "off" components in the non-dominant ear. Although these cells fire only at the onset of stationary sound, they fire throughout oppositely directed AM ramps. Motion toward or away from the head evokes responses from EE cells; strong binaural facilitation increases selectivity for motion in depth. The sharpness of direction of tuning was related to the degree of binaural facilitation in E/E cells. Selectivity for sound moving away from the head is correlated with "off" responses, while "on" responses correlate with preference for motion toward the head. Most units showed a monotonic rate function as AM ramp excursion and rate was increased. One third were selective for slower rates of intensity change and may therefore encode slower rates of stimulus motion, as well as direction of movement. The findings suggest that neural processing of auditory motion involves neural mechanisms distinct from those involved in processing stationary sound location and that these mechanisms arise from interactions between the more traditionally studied response properties of auditory cortex neurons.

Correlation of the fibrinogen level with blood pressure and plasma renin activity in rats with early Goldblatt hypertension.

Goldblatt hypertension was induced in rats by constricting the renal artery on one side. In one group of animals the contralateral kidney remained untouched (two-kidney hypertension), while in the other it was removed (one-kidney hypertension). In the two-kidney hypertension group, renin activity was higher than in the control animals, the fibrinogen was normal both in arterial and venous blood while in one-kidney hypertension the PRA was normal, but the fibrinogen was increased. A close significant correlation could be demonstrated between blood pressure and fibrinogen.

[Interaction between radiopharmaceutical and therapeutic agents. The modification of the distribution of 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate by D-penicillamine]. / Interaktionen zwischen Radiopharmaka und Therapeutika. Beeinflussung der Verteilung des 99mTc-Methylendiphosphonats durch D-Penicillamin.

The effect of D-penicillamine on the distribution of 99mTc-MDP was studied in male Wistar rats. There were significant activity decreases after medication in blood, kidney, lung and skeletal muscle. The activity in the skeleton was not influenced by D-penicillamine. After treatment, the liver showed a significant increase of activity. The clearance of activity not bound to the skeleton altogether accelerates after D-penicillamine medication. It is assumed that the change of kinetics is caused by a complex formation of the radiopharmaceutical and D-penicillamine. D-penicillamine possibly displaces methylene diphosphonate from the 99mTc-complex.

Prognostic value of preoperative serum CEA level compared to clinical staging: III. An approach to scoring of prognostic factors in colorectal cancer.

In a clinical study of observed postoperative survival of colorectal cancer patients, we investigated the application of a risk score based on tumor-related prognostic parameters. Six hundred seventy-four patients have been registered for primary surgery of colorectal cancer since 1974 who did not receive further postoperative treatments. The prognostic parameters included operability, tumor extension, and preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level. The scoring system was based on the average death-rate ratios of subgroups of patients and their age and sex-matched reference groups derived from the general life table of the population of the Federal Republic of Germany. The individual score sums of the patients exhibited score sum ranges which characterized groups of patients with entirely different observed survival. The prediction of individual survival after primary operation was only partly possible. In the plot of individual survivals vs individual score sums, a marginal risk zone was obtained which evidently represents the zone of maximum expected survival of patients who do not receive further postoperative treatment.

Eighty-four potential second-look operations based on sequential carcinoembryonic antigen determinations and clinical investigations in patients with recurrent gastrointestinal cancer.

In our study of patients with resected primary gastrointestinal cancer, slope analysis of the post-operatively increasing carcinoembryonic antigen time courses signaled relapse in about 80 percent of the patients up to 12 months before positive clinical diagnosis. In 29 patients, clinical confirmation of the relapse could be obtained only after second-look surgery. Slope analysis generally differentiated localized from metastatic disease and therefore also predicted the site of relapse. A first evaluation of 84 patients with potential cases of second-look operations provided evidence for a significant increase in survival. Recently, the evaluation of individual carcinoembryonic antigen doubling times was used to derive an individual prognosis since doubling times strongly correlated with the survival of untreated patients. On this basis, it was clearly possible to show the benefit of second-look operation, since patients with resectable recurrences exhibited longer survival times compared with patients with similar carcinoembryonic antigen doubling times without treatment. Moreover, the introduction of monoclonal antibodies with increased specificity for malignant states, has facilitated the selection of patients for second-look operation because unspecific carcinoembryonic antigen elevations are less frequent and recurrent disease can be predicted more reliably due to the higher carcinoembryonic antigen increments associated with malignant growth.

Disposition of 5-aminosalicylic acid, the active metabolite of sulphasalazine, in man.

The disposition of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-AS), the therapeutically active metabolite of sulphasalazine (SZ), has been studied in patients with active inflammatory bowel disease, in patients with biliary tract disease and post-operative T-tube drainage, and in healthy volunteers. Subjects were treated 3 times a day either with 5-AS 0.5 g suppositories and a slow-release preparation or with SZ 1 g tid (equivalent to 5-AS 1.14 g/day). Plasma and urine concentrations of 5-AS and its acetylated major metabolite (AcAS) were monitored during one dosing interval. In a cross-over trial in 5 patients with ulcerative colitis no difference, was found in the dose-corrected mean (+/- SD) steady state plasma levels (Css) of 5-AS and AcAS between treatment with 5-AS suppositories (0.10 +/- 0.07 and 0.50 +/- 0.20 micrograms/ml, respectively) and SZ (0.12 +/- 0.14 and 0.67 +/- 0.14 micrograms/ml, respectively). Urinary excretion of total AS (5-AS + AcAS), too, was similar (192 +/- 70 and 179 +/- 79 mg/day) with both forms of treatment. The oral slow-release form of 5-AS produced slightly higher Css in 5 patients with Crohn's disease (5-AS 0.21 +/- 0.22 micrograms/ml; AcAS 0.83 +/- 0.40 micrograms/ml) and in 5 healthy volunteers (5-AS 0.28 +/- 0.14 micrograms/ml; AcAS 1.10 +/- 0.43 micrograms/ml). Urinary recovery of total AS averaged 20 +/- 6% (patients) and 27 +/- 10% (volunteers).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Doubling time of circulating cea and its relation to survival of patients with recurrent colorectal cancer.

In a retrospective study the postoperative time courses of CEA in colorectal cancer patients with recurrent disease were analysed. In 87/114 cases with increasing concentrations of circulating CEA under close follow-up a linear relationship between log CEA and time could be established during disease recurrence. The individual doubling times of the serum CEA concentration in the log CEA period were calculated and found to cover distinct ranges dependent on the diagnosis of disease recurrence. The CEA doubling times concomitant with local recurrence or second primary carcinomas ranged from 142 to 868 days, visceral metastasis other than liver metastasis from 47 to 231 days and liver metastasis from 10 to 102 days. Patients with bone metastases exhibited CEA doubling times of 54-60 days and a patient with brain metastasis had a CEA doubling time of 598 days. The CEA doubling times of patients with liver metastasis and no further treatment, correlated well with the time of survival after the initial CEA increase of the log CEA phase (r = 0.870, n = 33). The mean survival expressed in multiples of the individual CEA doubling times was 7.0 +/- 1.8. Patients with liver metastasis who underwent various treatments of recurrent disease had a distinctly longer mean survival of 17.4 +/- 9.4 CEA doubling times (P less than 0.001). CEA doubling times can be used as a potential method to assess the efficacy of various treatments.

Prognostic value of preoperative serum CEA level compared to clinical staging. I. Colorectal carcinoma.

In a clinical investigation of observed postoperative survival, 563 patients have been registered for primary surgical treatment of colorectal cancer since 1974. The potential prognostic factors examined within the first days of hospitalization for primary resection included age of the patients, operability, location of the tumour, tumour extension and the preoperative serum CEA level. Statistical treatment of the data revealed that each of the clinical parameters except tumour location covers ranges associated with highly significant differences in survival of the patients. The preoperative serum CEA level gave prognostic information in addition to operability or tumour extension. The prognostic significance of the preoperative CEA level was still evident when selected subgroups of patients with distinct resectability and tumour extension were examined. The results indicate that the preoperative serum CEA level is an independent prognostic parameter.

Are circulating CEA immune complexes a prognostic marker in patients with carcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract?

CEA immune complexes and free CEA were determined to 363 patients with histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract before surgery and in a post-operative follow-up. Circulating CEA immune complexes (CEA-IC) could be detected preoperatively in 89 patients. Incidence of CEA-IC increased with increasing tumour extension; 72/89 patients with CEA-IC showed already metastatic disease progression, 40/89 had nonresectable tumours. Patients with preoperative CEA-IC had a poorer prognosis than patients without CEA-IC but with high levels of free CEA, or CEA-negative patients. The appearance of CEA-IC with consecutive increases in the postoperative follow-up indicated disease recurrence. In 32/55 relapse cases, circulating CEA-IC were detected postoperatively, all 32 cases developing metastatic spread of disease.

[Prognostic value of circulating immune complexes of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract (author's transl)]. / Die prognostische Bedeutung von zirkulierenden Immunkomplexen des Carcinoembryonalen Antigens (CEA) bei Patienten mit Adenokarzinomen des Gastrointestinaltraktes.

CEA immune complexes and unbound CEA were preoperatively determined in 350 patients with histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract. Circulating CEA immune complexes could be detected in 86 patients (25%) where an increase of tumor extension according to TNM classification was concomitant with an increasing percentage of patients with CEA immune complexes. 74/86 patients showed simultaneously pathological concentrations of unbound CEA. During postoperative surveillance the determinations of circulating CEA immune complexes could be used as prognostic criteria. In 30/50 patients with recurrent cancer CEA immune complexes were detected latest at the time of clinical diagnosis. Appearance of CEA immune complexes might contribute to characterization of the immune status of the patients. Some of the patients with widespread tumors exhibited a rapid increase of CEA immune complexes a few months before exitus (44% of the patients). Before exitus 13% of the patients again showed a greatly decreased concentration of CEA-immune complexes.

[Relapse prognosis for patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract on the basis of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and its circulating immune complexes (author's transl)]. / Rezidivprognosen bei Patienten mit Adenocarcinomen des Gastrointestinaltraktes der Basis von Carcinoembryonalem Antigen (CEA) und seinen zirkulierenden Immunkomplexen.

CEA immune complexes and free CEA were routinely determined in sera of 350 patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract preoperatively and during a 2-year surveillance period. We could detect circulating CEA immune complexes preoperatively in 25% of our patients. The appearance of CEA immune complexes prove to be a useful prognostic marker with respect to tumor extension since 72/86 patients with CEA immune complexes showed metastasis at the primary resection. The postoperative appearance of CEA immune complexes could be used as an additional parameter for the diagnosis of the relapse; 32/60 patients with a relapse developed CEA immune complexes during the period of surveillance. All patients with localized disease recurrence were found to be free of CEA immune complexes. Detection of CEA immune complexes, however, coincided always with the clinical diagnosis of distant spread of disease. This diagnosis was always preceded by an increase of free CEA and/or CEA immune complexes. In 50/60 patients the relapse could only be demonstrated by clinical methods since these patients stayed CEA-negative throughout the surveillance period.

Carcinoembryonic antigen follow-up and selection of patients for second-look operation in management of gastrointestinal carcinoma.

A long-term postoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) follow-up study is carried out with patients having undergone primary resection of histologically proved adenocarcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract. Up to now, 122 patients who underwent curative resections, as judged from the situs and the results of histologic examinations, were followed up for tumor recurrence by computerized CEA surveillance diagrams and clinical diagnostic methods. In the cases of tumor recurrence the rise of the CEA level preceded a positive clinical diagnosis by a mean of 4 months. On the basis of the CEA time course, we selected 28 patients for second-look surgery. In all cases proof of recurrence of the disease was obtained. A local recurrence correlating with a slow CEA rise was generally resectable, metastases correlating with a rapid CEA rise were only in some cases resectable, provided that second-look surgery was carried out without delay.

[Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (author's transl)]. / Carcinoembryonales Antigen (CEA). Klinische Wertung der Rezidivierungs- und Metastasierungsprognosen mittels CEA-Verlaufsanalyse bei Patienten mit Adenokarzinomen des Gastrointestinaltraktes.

Serial determinations of CEA concentrations in serum were performed postoperatively in 303 patients with histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract. The trend of the time course of computerised CEA curves made early diagnosis of recurrence or metastases possible. Diagnosis of recurrence by means of a rise in CEA concentration preceded positive clinical diagnosis by up to 10 months. In all 26 cases confirmation was obtained by second-look operation or other diagnostic means. Analysis of serial CEA measurements made it possible to distinguish between generalised metastasization and local recurrence of the tumour, on the one hand, and limited metastasization at the site of recurrence, on the other.