First Measurement of a Long-Lived π^{+}π^{-} Atom Lifetime.

The adapted DIRAC experiment at the CERN PS accelerator observed for the first time long-lived hydrogenlike π^{+}π^{-} atoms, produced by protons hitting a beryllium target. A part of these atoms crossed the gap of 96 mm between the target and a 2.1  μm thick platinum foil, in which most of them dissociated.

Observation of π^{-}K^{+} and π^{+}K^{-} Atoms.

The observation of hydrogenlike πK atoms, consisting of π^{-}K^{+} or π^{+}K^{-} mesons, is presented. The atoms are produced by 24  GeV/c protons from the CERN PS accelerator, interacting with platinum or nickel foil targets. The breakup (ionization) of πK atoms in the same targets yields characteristic πK pairs, called "atomic pairs," with small relative momenta Q in the pair center-of-mass system.

Genome-wide copy number analysis of cerebrospinal fluid tumor cells and their corresponding archival primary tumors.

A debilitating complication of breast cancer is the metastatic spread of tumor cells to the leptomeninges or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Patients diagnosed with this aggressive clinical syndrome, known as leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, have very poor prognosis. Despite improvements in detecting cerebrospinal fluid tumor cells (CSFTCs), information regarding their molecular biology is extremely limited.

Molecular profiling of tumor cells in cerebrospinal fluid and matched primary tumors from metastatic breast cancer patients with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis.

Although leptomeningeal carcinomatosis is a well-established clinical syndrome, virtually nothing is known about the tumor cells responsible for this particularly aggressive metastatic process. To isolate cerebrospinal fluid-derived tumor cells (CSFTC) from 15 patients with metastatic breast cancer diagnosed with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, CSF samples were subjected to a two-step method involving immunomagnetic enrichment and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (IE/FACS), a technique previously used for isolating circulating tumor cells (CTC) from blood. CSFTCs were subjected to genome-wide copy number analysis by array comparative genomic hybridization.

Experimental and clinical aspects of laser destruction of adenohypophysis.

Focal destruction of the adenohypophysis by Nd:YAG laser does not destroy other structures of the hypothalamo-pituitary region. During reparative regeneration, the focus of coagulation necrosis after laser destruction of the adenohypophysis is replaced by cicatricial tissue. A method for surgical treatment of pituitary adenomas was developed.