Two-dimensional agnor evaluation as a prognostic variable in urinary bladder carcinoma: a different approach via total agnor area/nucleus area per cell

Traditional criterions are not sufficient to predict accurately the recurrence of transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the AgNORs via total AgNOR area/nucleus area (TAA/NA) for each cell as a prognostic parameter, in TCC of urinary bladder. Tumor tissues of 20 consecutive cases of male bladder cancer patients were divided into two groups as middle differentiated (LG) and high grade (HG). The extra-tumoral tissue (ETT) samples of 10 males served as control group. A second control group (HC) consisted of five healthy and normal bladder tissue samples. The 3 microm of sections from each paraffin embedded tumoral, extra-tumoral and normal tissue samples served as patient and control groups. After deparaffinization and rehydratation steps, silver (AgNO(3)) staining of nucleolar organizer regions-associated proteins (AgNORs) was performed. Instead of Giemsa stain, we used Hematoxylin for contra staining. The images of the 100 analyzable nuclei from each tissue sample, transferred by means of a video camera and video capture card from microscope and recorded onto a computer. Software was prepared in Delphi language for analysis. Mean (E+02) TAA/NA values of HC, ETT, LG and HG groups were 6.97+2.80, 5.70+1.82, 7.80+3.22 and 9.24+3.88, respectively. Statistical comparisons have shown significant differences between all groups.In conclusion, mean TAA/NA per cell has a potential to be a prognostic parameter. Therefore, further evaluation of big patient series will be useful.     

Synthesis of oxazoline functionalized polypropene using metallocene catalysts

Using two different zirconocene/MAO catalyst systems, propene was copolymerized with the comonomers 2‐(9‐decene‐1‐yl)‐1,3‐oxazoline and 2‐(4‐(10‐undecene‐1‐oxo)phenyl)‐1,3‐oxazoline, respectively. The catalysts used were rac‐Et[Ind]₂ZrCl₂ and rac‐Me₂Si[2‐Me‐4, 5‐BenzInd]₂ZrCl₂. Up to 0.53 mol‐% oxazoline could be incorporated into polypropene. Oxazoline content, molecular weight, degree of isotacticity and melting behavior were dependent on the catalyst system, comonomer structure and comonomer concentration in the feed.     

Characterization of N-Succinylation of L-Lysylphosphatidylglycerol in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> Using Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Phospholipids generally dominate in bacterial lipids. The negatively charged nature of phospholipids renders bacteria susceptible to cationic antibiotic peptides. In comparison with Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria in general have much less zwitterionic phosphatidylethanolamine. However, they are known for producing aminoacylated phosphatidylglycerol (PG), especially positively charged l-lysyl-PG, which is catalyzed by lysyl-PG synthase MprF, which appears to have a broad range of specificity for l-aminoacyl transfer RNAs. In addition, many Gram-positive bacteria also have a dlt-gene-coded d-alanylation pathway for lipoteichoic acids and wall teichoic acids covalently attached to a glycolipid or peptidoglycan. d-Alanylation also masks the dominant negative charge of the phosphate-rich polymers of teichoic acids. Using mass spectrometry, we have recently observed that precursor scans in negative mode for deprotonated amino acid fragments were most sensitive for ester-linked amino acids. Such a scan for precursors generating an m/z 145 lysyl anion revealed lysyl-PG as well as an additional species 100?m/z units greater than lysyl-PG. This unexpected species corresponded precisely to the expected mass of N-succinylated lysyl-PG. Tandem mass spectrometry revealed a precise match to the fragmentation pattern of this putative new species. PG, lysyl-PG, and N-succinyl-lysyl-PG may form a complete loop of charge reversal from -1 to +1 and then back to -1. Analogous charge reversal by N-succinylation of lysine residues in the bacterial as well as eukaryotic proteomes has been recently discovered as a major posttranslational modification. Such modification in bacterial lipids is possibly catalyzed by an enzyme homologous to the enzymes that modify lysine residues in proteins.

Open image in new window

Graphical Abstract ?

     

An asymptotic approach for shock-wave/transpired turbulent boundary layer interactions

Summary In this work perturbation techniques are used to study the problem of the interaction between a shock wave and a transpired turbulent boundary layer at transonic speeds. In the case considered here, the Mach number is assumed to be high enough for the sonic line to penetrate deep into the boundary layer so that it ends close to the wall. The flow region is divided into a region of strong interaction and regions of weak interaction. For the regions of weak interaction, upstream and downstream of the shock, a classical two-deck structure is assumed to hold for the boundary layer. Solutions chosen for these regions must account for the effects of blowing or suction. The strong interaction region on the other hand is shown to consist of three decks. A detailed analysis of the whole flow field is carried out and solutions valid in the double limit as Reynolds number tends to infinity and Mach number tends to one are proposed. Solutions of adjacent layers are shown to match so providing a smooth solution for the entire flow region. The analysis yields solutions for the pressure and skin-friction profiles.

---

Zusammenfassung In dieser Veröffentlichung wird mit Methoden der Störungsrechnung das Problem der Wechselwirkung zwischen einer Schockwelle und einer turbulenten Grenzschicht mit Blas- und Saugeffekten beim Übergang zu Überschallgeschwindigkeiten untersucht. In dem hier betrachteten Fall ist die Machzahl so hoch, daß die Schockwellenfront tief in die Grenzschicht eindringt und nahe bei der Wand endet. Das Strömungsgebiet wird in ein Gebiet starker Wechselwirkung und in ein Gebiet schwacher Wechselwirkung eingeteilt. Für die Gebiete schwacher Wechselwirkung (vor und hinter der Schockwellenfront) wird angenommen, daß die Grenzschicht eine klassische zwei-Deck Struktur besitzt. Lösungen, die für diese Gebiete gewählt werden, müssen die Blas- oder Saugeffekte erklären. Es wird gezeigt, daß das Gebiet starker Wechselwirkung dagegen aus drei Decks besteht. Eine ausführliche Berechnung des gesamten Strömungsfeldes wird durchgeführt, und es werden Lösungen angegeben, die gültig sind für den doppelten Grenzfall, daß die Reynoldszahl gegen unendlich und die Machzahl gegen eins strebt. Es zeigt sich, daß die Lösungen für benachbarte Schichten aneinander passen, und daß sich damit eine stetige Lösung für das gesamte Strömungsgebiet ergibt. Die Lösungen für die Druck- und Wandreibungsprofile werden bestimmt.

     

Synthesis of Various Functional Propylene Copolymers Using rac‐Et[1‐Ind]2ZrCl2/MAO as the Catalyst System

Propylene copolymers with different polar groups were synthesised using rac‐Et[1‐Ind]₂ZrCl₂/MAO as the catalyst system. 10‐Undecen‐1‐ol, 10‐undecenoyl chloride, 10‐undecenoic acid, 2‐(9‐decen‐1‐yl)‐1,3‐oxazoline, 2‐(9‐decen‐1‐yl)‐4,4‐dimethyl‐1,3‐oxazoline, and 2‐[4‐(10‐undecene‐1‐oxy)phenyl]‐1,3‐oxazoline were used as comonomers. The addition of water to the 10‐undecenoyl chloride copolymer solution led to an acid‐functionalised copolymer. In the case of 2‐(9‐decen‐1‐yl)‐1,3‐oxazoline and its homopolymers, polymerisation temperature was varied. Up to 0.61 mol‐% comonomer were incorporated into the poly(propylene)s. The catalyst activities for 10‐undecen‐1‐ol, 10‐undecenoyl chloride and 10‐undecenoic acid were much higher than for the oxazoline comonomers.     

A novel,rapid and sensitive UPLC–MS/MS method for the determination of macitentan in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension

Macitentan is an endothelin receptor antagonist commonly used in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). A novel, rapid, simple and sensitive UPLC–MS/MS method was developed and validated for pharmacokinetic study and the determination of macitentan in PAH patients. Macitentan and bosentan, which are used as internal standards, were detected using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in positive ion and multiple reaction monitoring mode by monitoring the mass transitions m/z 589.1 → 203.3 and 552.6 → 311.5, respectively. Chromatographic separation was performed on a reverse‐phase C18 column (5 μm, 4.6 × 150 mm) with an isocratic mobile phase, which consisted of water containing 0.2% acetic acid–acetonitrile (90:10, v/v) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. Retention times were 1.97 and 1.72 min for macitentan and IS, respectively. The calibration curve with high correlation coefficient (0.9996) was linear in the range 1–500 ng/mL. The lower limit of quantitation and average recovery values were determined as 1 ng/mL and 89.8%, respectively. This method is the first UPLC–MS/MS method developed and validated for the determination of macitentan from human plasma. The developed analytical method was fully validated for linearity, selectivity, specificity, accuracy, precision, sensitivity, stability, matrix effect and recovery according to US Food and Drug Administration guidelines. The developed method was applied successfully for pharmacokinetic study and the determination of macitentan in PAH patients.     

GC Determination of Prilocaine HCl in Human Plasma: Analytical Application to Real Samples

A gas chromatographic (GC) method with a rapid and simple sample preparation was developed and validated for determination of prilocaine in human plasma. The validation parameters of linearity, precision, accuracy, recovery, specificity, limit of detection and limit of quantification were studied. The range of quantification for the GC method was 50–300 ng mL^?1 in plasma. Intra- and inter-day precision, expressed as the relative standard deviation (RSD) were less than 4.5%, and accuracy (relative error) was better than 8.0% (n = 6). The analytical recovery of prilocaine HCl from plasma has averaged 96.5% and the recovery of internal standard (lidocaine HCl) reached 96.8%. The limit of quantification (LOQ) and the limit of detection (LOD) of the method for plasma were 50 and 40 ng mL^?1, respectively. Also the developed and validated method was applied to three healthy volunteers to whom a local anaesthesia with citanest was administered.     

Numerical solution of linear and nonlinear partial differential equations using the peridynamic differential operator

This study presents numerical solutions to linear and nonlinear Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) by using the peridynamic differential operator. The solution process involves neither a derivative reduction process nor a special treatment to remove a jump discontinuity or a singularity. The peridynamic discretization can be both in time and space. The accuracy and robustness of this differential operator is demonstrated by considering challenging linear, nonlinear, and coupled PDEs subjected to Dirichlet and Neumann‐type boundary conditions. Their numerical solutions are achieved using either implicit or explicit methods. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 33: 1726–1753, 2017     

College admissions with affirmative action

This paper first shows that when colleges' preferences are substitutable there does not exist any stable matching mechanism that makes truthful revelation of preferences a dominant strategy for every student. The paper introduces student types and captures colleges' preferences for affirmative action via type-specific quotas: A college always prefers a set of students that respects its type-specific quotas to another set that violates them. Then it shows that the student-applying deferred acceptance mechanism makes truthful revelation of preferences a dominant strategy for every student if each college's preferences satisfy responsiveness over acceptable sets of students that respect its type-specific quotas. These results have direct policy implications in several entry-level labor markets (Roth 1991). Furthermore, a fairness notion and the related incentive theory developed here is applied to controlled choice in the context of public school choice by Abdulkadiro?lu and Sönmez (2003).     

Modal Control of Cantilever Beam Using a Gyrostabilizer

In this paper, an experimental model of a horizontal cantilever beam with a rotating/oscillating attached to the shaker for harmonic excitation at the one end and a gyrostabilizer at the other end is built to verify the equations of the Lagrangian model. The primary focus of the study was to investigate the parameters of excitation amplitude, natural frequency, rotating mass (disk mass), and disk speed of gyro that would minimize the amplitude of the beam to identify these effects. Numerical and experimental results indicate that the angular momentum of the gyrostabilizer is the most effective parameter in the reduction of beam displacement.