Sex pheromone of tomato fruit borer, Neoleucinodes elegantalis.

Five candidate pheromone components were identified by analyzing pheromone gland extracts by gas chromatography (GC), coupled GC-electroantennographic detection (EAD), and coupled GC-mass spectrometry (MS) : (E)-11-hexadecenol(E11-16 : OH), (Z)-11-hexadecenol (Z11-16 : OH), (E)-11-hexadecenal, (E)-11-hexadecenyl acetate, and (Z)-3,(Z)-6,(Z)-9-tricosatriene (Z3,Z6,Z9-23 : Hy). In electroantennogram (EAG) recordings, synthetic E11-16 : OH elicited stronger antennal responses at low doses than other candidate pheromone components. Field tests demonstrated that synthetic E11-16 : OH as a trap bait was effective in attracting males, whereas addition of Z11-16 : OH inhibited the males' response. Z3,Z6,Z9-23 : Hy strongly enhanced attractiveness of E11-16 : OH, but was not attractive by itself. A pheromone blend with synergistic behavioral activity of an alcohol (E11-16 : OH) and hydrocarbon (Z3,Z6,Z9-23 : Hy) component is most unusual in the Lepidoptera. The synthetic two-component pheromone is approximately 60 times more attractive than the female-produced blend and might facilitate the control of this pest.

Interim results of a randomized trial of mitomycin C as an adjunct to radical radiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced squamous-cell carcinoma of the cervix.

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of mitomycin C as an adjunct to radiotherapy for the treatment of locally advanced cervix cancer. Patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the cervix, stages IB2-IVA, were randomized to receive radiotherapy alone or radiotherapy with concomitant mitomycin C. An initial cohort of 160 patients, having a mean follow-up of 46 months, is analyzed. Intravenous mitomycin C, 15 mg/M(2), was given on the first and sixth week of radiotherapy. The 78 patients in the radiotherapy with mitomycin C group and 82 patients in the radiotherapy alone group have a comparable distribution by age and stage (mean age 47 years; stage IB 3%, IIA 11%, IIB 48%, IIIA 1%, IIIB 36%, IVA 3%). The four-year actuarial survival rates for radiotherapy with mitomycin C and radiotherapy alone were 72% and 56%, respectively (P = 0.13). The four-year actuarial disease-free survival rates for radiotherapy with mitomycin C and radiotherapy alone were 71% and 44%, respectively, a statistically significant difference (P = 0.01). The four-year actuarial local recurrence-free survival rates for patients receiving radiotherapy with mitomycin C and radiotherapy alone were 78% and 63%, respectively (P = 0.11). Differences in four-year distant recurrence-free survival between radiotherapy plus mitomycin C and radiotherapy alone were significantly different at 85% vs. 61% (P = 0.01); this analysis is not adjusted for local failure. On subgroup analysis, stage III-IVA patients had a four-year actuarial disease-free survival of 75% for radiotherapy plus mitomycin C compared with 35% for radiotherapy alone (P = 0.03). There were no treatment- related deaths. Mild hematologic toxicity was seen only in the group treated with mitomycin C. No excess in non-hematologic toxicity has been observed thus far with combined mitomycin C and radiotherapy. In this open phase III trial of mitomycin C as an adjunct to radical radiotherapy for squamous-cell carcinoma of the cervix, there were minimal hematologic effects and no increase in acute radiation reactions. A statistically significant difference in favor of patients receiving mitomycin C is shown for disease-free survival. Thus far, there are trends in favor of those patients receiving mitomycin C for survival and local control. Patients with more advanced stage disease, predominantly stage IIIB, appear to have the most benefit. These preliminary results support the hypothesis that targeting hypoxic cells may lead to a therapeutic enhancement in the radiotherapy of cervix cancer. This trial continues to accrue patients and follow-up data. Int. J. Cancer (Radiat. Oncol. Invest.) 90, 206-223 (2000).

Evaluacioón de dos protocolos de quimioterapia (EBV-1 y EBV-2) más radioterapia en niños con enfermedad de hodgkin / Evaluation of two chemoterapy of protocolic (EBV-1 And EBV-2) more children in radioterapy with hodgkin desease

Se presentan los resultados obtenidos en 46 niños tratados en la unidad de linfomas del Hospital Universitario de Caracas con el esquema EBV más Rt a bajas dosis. Veinticuatro se trataron entre enero 1988-diciembre de 1990 con el EBV-1 (epirubicina 30 mg/m² yviblastina 6 mg/m² los días 1 y 15, cada 4 semanas) yveintidós se trataron entre enero 1991-diciembre 1994 con el EBV-2, cuya diferencia con el anterior fue el incremento de las dosis de epirubicina a 6o mg/m²Las características clínicas e histológicas de los grupos fueron similares. Se consideraron factores pronósticos (FP): los estadios clínicos III Y IV, la masa medistinal mayor del 30 por ciento del diámetro torácico, los síntomas B y el volumen tumoral mayor de 5 cm. Los pacientes con 0 ó 1 FP se ubicaron en el grupo favorable y recibieron 4 ciclos de Qt, combinados en ambos grupos con Rt: 20-25 C y a zonas afectas. Se obtuvo remisión completa en el 76 por ciento de los pacientes y sobrevidas libre de enfermedad, libre de eventos y total de 84 por ciento, 68 por ciento y 78 por ciento respectivamente a los 5 años de seguimiento. No se observaron diferencais significativas en los resultados obtenidos con el EBV-1 y el EBV-2, pero fueron superiores en el grupo favorable. La Qt fue bien tolerada y pudo administrarse ambulatoriamente. Los efectos tóxicos tardíos fueron hipotiroidismo subclínico en 5/14 pacientes (36 por ciento), carcinoma de tiroides en 1/46 (2 por ciento) y cardiomiopatía dilatada en 1/46 (2 por ciento) tratado con EBV-2. Concluimos que 4 ciclos de EBV-1 combinados con Rt. a bajas dosis es una alternativa efectiva en el tratamiento de los niños con E.H grupo favorable y que el incremento de la dosis de epirubicina a 60 mg/m² no mejora los resultados

Estudio comparativo de las técnicas de Machado Guerreiro y Elisa en el diagnóstico de infección chagásica / Compartive assay of Machado Guerreiro and Elisa techniques in diagnosis of chagas disease

Se procesaron 241 muestras de donantes voluntarios del banco de Sangre del Estado Zulia de sexo masculino y femenino, en edades comprendidas entre 18 y 30 años; a cada una de las cuales se le practicaron las pruebas de Elisa realizadas en el IVIC utilizando cepas puras del antígeno de T.cruzi, ELISA utilizando un kit comercial y Machado Guerreiro. Ambas técnicas realizadas en el Banco de Sangre del Estado Zulia. De los resultados obtenidos, con la técnica de Machado Guerreiro, 7 sueros resultaron positivos y 234 negativos, con ELISA (Banco de Sangre) 21 positivos y 220 negativos; con ELISA (IVIC) 32 positivos y 209 negativos. La comparación de Machado Guerreiro con ambas ELISA empleando el método de análisis Ji-Cuadrado modificado por Brand-Snedecor, reveló que las diferencias observadas entre los resultados de las técnicas fueron significativas. Evaluando los resultados ELISA (Banco de Sangre) y ELISA (IVIC) se demostró que no hubo diferencias significativas entre ambas pruebas. Los resultados de este estudio demostraron que ELISA es más sensible que Machado Guerreiro ya que detectó cantidades mínimas de anticuerpos específicos para antígenos chagásicos que no fueron detectados por Machado Guerreiro. El uso de la técnica ELISA amplía el rango de seguridad para las transfunsiones sanguíneas en relación a pacientes con infección chagásica

Chemical ecology of the palm weevilRhynchophorus palmarum (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): Attraction to host plants and to a male-produced aggregation pheromone.

Attraction to host plants by adultRhynchophorus palmarum (L.) palm weevils was studied in the field and in the laboratory. Chemical analysis revealed the presence of ethanol and ethyl-acetate in stems of coco palms and in pineapple fruits and of pentane, hexanal, and isopentanol in coco stems. In the olfactometer, the first two compounds and isoamyl-acetate were attractive to the insects and the last three compounds, although not attractive by themselves, increased attractiveness when mixed with the first two compounds. Mixtures of these compounds, in proportions similar to the one occurring in attractive plant tissue, were as attractive as natural coconut tissue. In the field, the chemical compounds, either presented alone or as a mixture, did not attract the weevil. Males produce an aggregation pheromone when smelling ethyl-acetate. Rhynchophorol, 2(E)-6-methyl-2-hepten-4-ol, the known active component of the aggregation pheromone, attracts weevils in the olfactometer and in the field only if plant tissue, ethyl-acetate, or the above-mentioned odor mix are present. We propose that a complex mix of ethanol, ethyl-acetate, pentane, hexanal, isolamyl-acetate, and/or isopentanol serve as a short-range orientation cue to fresh wounds on the plant and that additional host odors, attracting weevils from a distance, have still to be discovered. Rhynchophorol can be considered to be a Synergist, having an anemotactic action at a distance. We recommend the use of retention traps baited with rhynchophorol, ethyl-acetate, and sugar cane as an alternative control method for the pest.

A dosimetric analysis of Morris, Fletcher, and Henschke systems for treatment of uterine cervix carcinoma.

The role of intracavitary irradiation in the treatment of uterine cervix carcinoma is well established, and over the years a number of different systems for intracavitary irradiation have been developed. To compare the clinical efficacy of different systems and to develop guidelines for the design of applicators with new sources such as americium-241, we present a dosimetric comparison of three systems: (a) the Morris system, a modified Stockholm technique; (b) the Henschke system; and (c) the Fletcher system. Using a computerized planning system, dose distributions with different configurations of each system were calculated. For each case, doses to point A, B, and a set of reference points representing bladder and rectum were also calculated. Also, the 60 Gy reference volumes, as defined by ICRU Report No. 38, 1985, were calculated for six different treatment regimens. These treatment regimens employ widely different combinations of whole pelvis external beam dose, split pelvis external beam dose, and intracavitary irradiation dose to achieve similar clinical outcomes for the treatment of various stages of cervix carcinoma. From this analysis we observe the following: (a) The Morris system produces a higher dose rate to point A (70 to 90 cGy/hr) compared to the Fletcher or Henschke system (50 to 70 cGy/hr); (b) the doses to point B relative to point A dose are about the same for all three systems at 28 to 32%; (c) the doses to reference rectum and bladder points relative to point A dose for clinically equivalent configurations are about the same for Fletcher and Henschke systems (58-65%) not including the effects of shields in the vaginal ovoids, and somewhat higher for the Morris system (72-79%); (d) the volume treated to a given dose rate by each intracavitary system alone is about the same; and (e) the 60 Gy volume depends critically upon the external beam whole pelvis dose, rising steeply as the external beam whole pelvis dose approaches 30 Gy. Since different groups have used widely different prescriptions of external beam whole pelvis dose, ranging from 0 to 50 Gy depending upon stage, the 60 Gy volumes for these various dose prescriptions are strikingly different. Because the Morris system uses lower values for the external beam whole pelvis dose than the others, its 60 Gy volume for the advanced Stage IIB and IIIB is 2 to 4 times lower than others. This choice makes the Morris system more conservative than others, probably resulting in slightly lower cure rates for the advanced stage disease.

Olfactory neuroblastoma. Observations on seven patients treated with radiation therapy and review of the literature.

Seven patients with olfactory neuroblastoma were treated, using the staging classification proposed by Kadish (stage A two patients, stage B one, stage C three, and local recurrence one patient). Treatment was not uniform. Radiation therapy was employed initially as the only treatment modality in three patients who had stage A, B, and C, respectively. In one instance, it was used to treat a local recurrence after surgical treatment. Surgery and radiation therapy was employed in three patients: one with stage A and two with stage C. Chemotherapy was used as an adjuvant to radiation and surgery in one patient with stage C, and in three individuals, it was used for advanced disease. Four of the seven patients are alive without evidence of disease from 23 months to 16 years 8 months after treatment. A review of 11 series from the recent medical literature is presented. It is essential to follow these patients for long periods of time because of the slow growth and the propensity of local recurrence that some of these tumors have. The actual tendency in the management of this neoplasm seems to be combined therapy with surgery and radiation. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy is not well established, but has been recommended for locally advanced disease.

Evaluation of allograft perfusion by radionuclide first-pass study in renal failure following renal transplantation.

To assess the diagnostic value of indices measured on a first-pass curve, we performed 72 radionuclide renal first-pass studies (RFP) in 21 patients during the early weeks following renal allograft transplantation. The diagnosis was based on standard clinical and biochemical data and on fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of the transplant. Aortic and renal first-pass curves were filtered using a true low-pass filter and five different indices of renal perfusion were computed, using formulae from the literature. Statistical analysis performed on the aortic and renal indices indicated excellent reproducibility of the isotopic study. Although renal indices presented a rather large scatter, they all discriminated well between normal and rejection. Three indices have a particularly good diagnostic value. In the discrimination between rejection and Acute Tubular Necrosis (ATN), only one index gave satisfying results. The indices, however, indicate that there are probably ATN with an alternation of renal perfusion and rejection episodes where perfusion is almost intact. We conclude that radionuclide first-pass study allows accurate and reproducible quantitation of renal allograft perfusion. The measured parameters are helpful to followup the course of a post-transplantation renal failure episode and to gain more insight into renal ischemia following transplantation.

Chromophobe adenoma manifesting as a nasopharyngeal mass.

A 64-year-old woman had a sphenoid sinus tumor and nasopharyngeal mass verified to be a nasopharyngeal chromophobe adenoma with no evidence of sellar enlargement or involvement. The possibility that this mass arose from ectopic hypophyseal tissue located in the pharynx is proposed.

Cancer of the nasopharynx: review of 43 cases treated with supervoltage radiation therapy.

Forty-three cases of cancer of the nasopharynx treated at the Yale-New Haven Hospital in the last 15 years were analyzed. The clinical aspects of the disease, the technique of therapy and results of treatment are presented. The five-year cumulative survival in all the cases treated was 27%. Patients with lymphoepitheliomas seem to do better than those with squamous cell carcinoma. Even in patients with advanced disease, a cure is still possible after radical radiation treatment. Retreatment of recurrent disease is frequently successful in these tumors. The complications after curative radiotherapy even with the use of supervoltage are still relatively frequent. The incidence of distant metastases was 29%.

Breast cancer in brothers: case reports and a review of 30 cases of male breast cancer.

Two brothers with breast cancer are presented. One died 8 years after diagnosis and the other is presently living at 1 year with metastatic disease. The courses of 28 other previously unreported male patients with carcinoma of the breast are reviewed, and the possibility of male breast carcinoma being metastatic disease from the prostate is discussed. Useful etiologic information might be obtained from following the offspring of male breast cancer patients to see if they are at increased risk of developing the disease.