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Reliable Evaluation (reliable + evaluation)
Selected AbstractsCell blocks allow reliable evaluation of expression of basal (CK5/6) and luminal (CK8/18) cytokeratins and smooth muscle actin (SMA) in breast carcinomaCYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 4 2010W. D. Delgallo W. D. Delgallo, J. R. P. Rodrigues, S. P. Bueno, R. M. Viero and C. T. Soares Cell blocks allow reliable evaluation of expression of basal (CK5/6) and luminal (CK8/18) cytokeratins and smooth muscle actin (SMA) in breast carcinoma Objective:, Gene expression studies have revealed several molecular subtypes of breast carcinoma with distinct clinical and biological behaviours. DNA microarray studies correlated with immunohistochemical profiling of breast carcinomas using cytokeratin (CK) markers, Her2/neu, oestrogen receptor (ER), and basal myoepithelial cell markers have identified five breast tumour subtypes: (i) luminal A (ER+; Her2/neu,), (ii) luminal B (ER+; Her2/neu+), (iii) Her2 overexpression (ER,; Her2/neu+), (iv) basal-like (ER,; Her2/neu,, CK5/6 and 14+), and (v) negative for all markers. Luminal carcinomas express cytokeratins in a luminal pattern (CK8/18), and the basal-like type expresses CK5/6 and CK14 or basal epithelial cell markers. CK5/6, CK8/18, and smooth muscle actin (SMA) expression were assessed in cell blocks and compared with expression in surgical specimens. Methods:, Sixty-two cases of breast carcinoma diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology with cell blocks and available surgical specimens were included. Cell blocks containing at least 10 high-power fields each with at least 10 tumour cells and surgical specimens were immunostained for CK5/6, CK8/18 and SMA. Results:, Percentage sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were, respectively, 77, 100, 100, 92 and 94 for CK5/6; 98, 66, 96, 80 and 95 for CK8/18; and 92, 96, 85, 98 and 95 for SMA. Conclusion:, The identification of CK5/6, CK8/18 and SMA by immunohistochemistry in cell blocks can be a reliable method that yields results close to those obtained in surgical specimens, and can contribute to the classification of breast carcinomas with luminal and basal expression patterns, providing helpful information in the choice of treatment and in the evaluation of prognostic and predictive factors. [source] Volume Reduction Surgery for End-Stage Ischemic Heart DiseaseECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 7 2002Takahiro Shiota M.D. The Dor procedure, or infarction excision surgery, was first used in 1984. It is a surgical treatment option for patients with end-stage ischemic heart failure. In a recently published multicenter study that included a total of 439 patients, average ejection fraction increased from 29 ± 10% to 39 ± 12% after surgery. In our experience, the overall survival rate 18 months after surgery is 89%, and the preoperative mortality rate is 6.6%. These results are similar to the previous reports from Dor,s group, which confirmed the certain value of the surgery. Echocardiography, including intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography, plays an important role in clarifying cardiac anatomies, absolute left ventricular (LV) volumes, ejection fraction, and mitral regurgitation in patients with ischemic heart failure undergoing this surgery. With the development of ultrasound and computer technology, three-dimensional echocardiography may be preferred when evaluating the surgical results, including determination of absolute LV volumes. Communication between experienced cardiac surgeons and echocardiographers in the operating room is essential for successful outcomes and reliable evaluation of the surgery. [source] Insights into phase stability of anhydrous/hydrate systems: a Raman-based methodologyJOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY, Issue 3 2010Mariela M. Nolasco Abstract FT-Raman spectroscopy turns out to be a powerful technique to evaluate the amount of polymorphic and pseudopolymorphic forms in crystalline samples,which is particularly relevant in pharmaceutical sciences. This paper presents a methodology that allows successful quantitative evaluation of the solid-state hydration and dehydration processes, using FT-Raman spectroscopy. All the steps required for a reliable evaluation of the hydration/dehydration process are illustrated for the caffeine system, a particularly challenging system presenting limited spectral differences between the pseudopolymorphs. The hydration process of caffeine was found to occur in a single-step process with a half-life time of ca 13 h, while the dehydration occurs through a two-step mechanism. The critical relative humidity was found to be at ca 81 and 42% for anhydrous and hydrate caffeine forms, respectively. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Anatomically based guidelines for systematic investigation of the central somatosensory system and their application to a spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) patientNEUROPATHOLOGY & APPLIED NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2003U. Rüb Dysfunctions of the somatosensory system are among the clinical signs that characterize a variety of polyglutamine or CAG-repeat diseases. Deficits within this system may hinder the perception of potential threats, be detrimental to somatomotor functions, and result in uncoordinated movements, ataxia, and falls. Despite the considerable clinical relevance of such deficits, however, no systematic pathoanatomical studies of the central somatosensory system in polyglutamine diseases are currently available. The present paper has two goals: (1) re-commendation of an economical tissue sampling method and optimized histological processing of this tissue to allow rapid and reliable evaluation of the structural integrity of all known relay stations and interconnecting fibre tracts within this complex system, and (2) the proposal of guidelines for a rapid and detailed pathoanatomical investigative procedure of the human central somatosensory system. In so doing, we draw on the current state of neuroanatomic research and apply the methods and guidelines proposed here to a 25-year-old female patient with spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2). The use of 100 µm serial sections through the SCA2 patient's central somatosensory components showed that obvious neuronal loss occurred in nearly all of the relay stations of this system (Clarke's column; cuneate, external cuneate and gracile nuclei; spinal, principal and mesencephalic trigeminal nuclei; ventral posterior lateral and ventral posterior medial nuclei of the thalamus), whereas the majority of interconnecting fibre tracts (dorsal spinocerebellar tract; cuneate and gracile fascicles; medial lemniscus; spinal trigeminal tract, trigeminal nerve and mesencephalic trigeminal tract) displayed signs of atrophy accompanied by demyelinization. These pathological findings suffice to explain the patient's impaired senses of vibration, position and temperature. Moreover, together with the lesions seen in the motor cerebellothalamocortical feedback loop (pontine nuclei, deep cerebellar nuclei and cerebellar cortex, ventral lateral nucleus of the thalamus), they also account for the somatomotor deficits that were observed in the young woman (gait, stance, and limb ataxia, falls, and impaired writing). In proposing these new guidelines, we hope to enable others to study the hitherto unknown morphological counterparts of somatosensory dysfunctions in additional CAG-repeat disease patients. [source] Unreliability of co-occurrence-based sediment quality guidelines for contaminated sediment evaluations at Superfund/hazardous chemical sitesREMEDIATION, Issue 2 2005Anne Jones-Lee Many Superfund/hazardous chemical sites include waterbodies whose sediments contain hazardous chemicals. With the need to assess, rank, and remediate contaminated sediments at such sites, as well as in other waterways, regulators seek a simple, quantitative assessment approach that feeds easily into a decision-making scheme. Numeric, co-occurrence-based "sediment quality guidelines" have emerged with the appearance of administrative simplicity. However, the very foundation of the co-occurrence approach, based on the total concentrations of a chemical(s) in sediment, is technically invalid; its application relies on additional technically invalid presumptions. Use of technically invalid evaluation approaches renders any assessment of the significance of sediment contamination unreliable. This article reviews the technical roots and assumptions of the co-occurrence-based SQGs, the fundamental flaws in the rationale behind their development and application, and their misapplication for sediment quality evaluation. It also reviews concepts and approaches for the more reliable evaluation, ranking, and cleanup assessment of contaminated sediments at Superfund sites and elsewhere. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Verifizierung zerstörungsfreier Prüfverfahren zur Detektion von Spannstahlschäden an Spannbetonbauteilen mit nachträglichem VerbundBETON- UND STAHLBETONBAU, Issue 8 2005Jürgen Mietz Dr.-Ing. Für die Beurteilung des Gefährdungspotentials bestehender Bauwerke, bei denen im Falle von Spannstahlschäden die Tragfähigkeit nennenswert beeinflußt werden kann, sind zerstörungsfreie Prüfverfahren zur Bewertung des Zustandes der Spannstähle von herausragender Bedeutung. Während des Abrisses der Hohenzollerndammbrücke in Berlin, bei der in früheren Untersuchungen Spannstahlschäden infolge wasserstoffinduzierter Spannungsrißkorrosion festgestellt worden waren, konnten Teile der Stege des Brückenüberbaus entnommen werden. Nach der zerstörungsfreien Untersuchung der dort enthaltenen Spanndrähte mit Hilfe von zwei auf der magnetischen Streufeldmessung sowie einem auf elektromagnetischer Resonanzmessung basierenden Verfahren wurden die Hüllrohre freigelegt und die Spanndrähte inspiziert, um die Ergebnisse der zerstörungsfreien Prüfung im Hinblick auf ihre Zuverlässigkeit zu beurteilen. Die Auswertung zeigt, daß Bereiche mit Brüchen mehrerer Drähte mit den zwei magnetischen Streufeldmeßverfahren detektiert werden können. Verification of Non-Destructive Testing Techniques for Detection of Prestressing Steel Damage at Post-Tensioned Concrete Members For an assessment of the risk potential of existing structures where in the case of prestressing steel damage the load-bearing capacity could be significantly affected non-destructive testing techniques which enable reliable evaluation of the condition of the prestressing steels are of utmost importance. During the demolition of the Hohenzollerndamm bridge in Berlin where damage of prestressing wires due to hydrogen-induced stress corrosion cracking were found in former investigations parts of the girders of the bridge superstructure could be taken out. After non-destructive investigation by means of two testing techniques based on magnetic leakage flux measurement and one technique based on electromagnetic resonance measurement the single wires were inspected in order to verify the non-destructive testing results with respect to their reliability. From the results it can be concluded that areas with fractures of several wires could be detected by the two techniques based on magnetic leakage flux measurement. [source] A computational study of the carboxylic acid of phloroglucinol in vacuo and in water solutionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUANTUM CHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2010Liliana Mammino Abstract 2,4,6-Trihydroxybenzoic acid (FA) is the carboxylic acid of phloroglucinol and, in turn, the parent compound of many biologically active compounds. The biological activities of FA are "extreme" among trihydroxybenzoic acids (e.g., lowest antioxidant activity, highest toxicity toward crustaceans). A complete MP2/6-31++G(d,p) conformational study in vacuo shows that the lowest energy conformers contain two intramolecular hydrogen bonds between the COOH function and the two ortho phenolic OH, with the Z form of COOH preferred over the E form. Comparisons with conformers in which the H-bonds are removed enable fairly reliable evaluations of their energy, because of an off-plane shift of COOH on H-bond removal, decreasing the effects of lone pair repulsion. Comparisons with the other hydroxybenzoic acids (extensively calculated in vacuo at the same level of theory) suggest that FA has the strongest intramolecular H-bonds. PCM calculations of FA in water solution show the same sequence of relative stabilities as in vacuo, with narrower differences because of the greater solvent stabilization of higher energy conformers. Calculations of adducts with water molecules H-bonded to different donor,acceptor centers of FA show the preferred arrangements of water molecules around the different regions of FA and confirm that the stronger intramolecular H-bonds are not broken on competition with the possibility of formation of intermolecular H-bonds. HF/6-31++G(d,p) calculations of adducts, in which the FA molecule is completely surrounded by water molecules, show that 14,16 water molecules (depending on the FA conformer geometry) realize arrangements corresponding to a presumable first solvation layer, with all the water molecules directly H-bonded to donor,acceptor centers of FA or bridging water molecules directly H-bonded to them. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2010 [source] | |||||||||||||