Progesterone Receptor Membrane Component 1 (PGRMC1) Modulates Tumour Progression, the Immune Microenvironment and the Response to Therapy in Glioblastoma.

Progesterone Receptor Membrane Component 1 (PGRMC1) is a tumour-promoting factor in several types of cancer but its role in brain tumours is poorly characterized thus far. Our study aimed to determine the effect of PGRMC1 on glioblastoma (GBM) pathophysiology using two independent cohorts of IDH wild-type GBM patients and stable knockdown GBM models. We found that high levels of PGRMC1 significantly predicted poor overall survival in both cohorts of GBM patients.

Assessment of the Effect of Cleanliness on the Visual Inspection of Aircraft Engine Blades: An Eye Tracking Study.

Background-The visual inspection of aircraft parts such as engine blades is crucial to ensure safe aircraft operation. There is a need to understand the reliability of such inspections and the factors that affect the results. In this study, the factor 'cleanliness' was analysed among other factors.

Thought experiment: Decoding cognitive processes from the fMRI data of one individual.

Cognitive processes, such as the generation of language, can be mapped onto the brain using fMRI. These maps can in turn be used for decoding the respective processes from the brain activation patterns. Given individual variations in brain anatomy and organization, analyzes on the level of the single person are important to improve our understanding of how cognitive processes correspond to patterns of brain activity.

Mindfulness interventions for psychosis: a systematic review of the literature.

Unlabelled: WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Psychosis and the more specific diagnosis of schizophrenia constitute a major psychiatric disorder which impacts heavily on the self-esteem, functioning and quality of life of those affected. A number of mindfulness therapies have been developed in recent years, showing promising results when used with people with the disorder. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This review of the literature included only randomized controlled trials (RCTs), rather than other typically less robust methods of research (e.

Mice lacking Ly49E show normal NK cell development and provide evidence for probabilistic expression of Ly49E in NK cells and T cells.

Ly49E is an unusual member of the Ly49 family that is expressed on fetal NK cells, epithelial T cells, and NKT cells, but not on resting adult NK cells. Ly49E(bgeo/bgeo) mice in which the Ly49E gene was disrupted by inserting a β-geo transgene were healthy, fertile, and had normal numbers of NK and T cells in all organs examined. Their NK cells displayed normal expression of Ly49 and other NK cell receptors, killed tumor and MHC class I-deficient cells efficiently, and produced normal levels of IFN-γ.

The expression and function of the NKRP1 receptor family in C57BL/6 mice.

NKRP1 receptors were discovered more than 20 years ago, but due to a lack of appropriate reagents, our understanding of them has remained limited. Using a novel panel of mAbs that specifically recognize mouse NKRP1A, D, and F molecules, we report here that NKRP1D expression is limited to a subpopulation of NK cells, but in contrast to Ly49 receptors appears to be expressed in a normal codominant manner. NKRP1D(-) and NKRP1D(+) NK cells are functionally distinct, NKRP1D(+) cells showing reduced expression of various Ly49 receptors, elevated expression of CD94/NKG2 receptors, and higher IFN-gamma secretion and cytotoxicity than NKRP1D(-) cells.

Domain-engineered pyroelectric radiometer.

We built a large-area domain-engineered pyroelectric radiometer with high spatial and spectral response uniformity that is an excellent primary transfer standard for measurements in the near- and the mid-infrared wavelength regions. The domain engineering consisted of inverting the spontaneous polarization over a 10-mm-diameter area in the center of a uniformly poled, 15.5 mm x 15.

Bicell Pyroelectric Optical Detector Made from a Single LiNbO(3) Domain-Reversed Electret.

Using electric-field poling at room temperature, we selectively reversed the direction of the spontaneous polarization in a 200-mum-thick, z-cut LiNbO(3) electret to produce a bicell pyroelectric detector. The detector required only a single set of electrodes, one electrode on the front surface and one on the back surface. Microphonic noise that is typical of monocell pyroelectric detectors is reduced in the present device.

Ly49B is expressed on multiple subpopulations of myeloid cells.

Using a novel mAb specific for mouse Ly49B, we report here that Ly49B, the last remaining member of the C57 Ly49 family to be characterized, is expressed at low levels on approximately 1.5% of spleen cells, none which are NK cells or T cells but which instead belong to several distinct subpopulations of myeloid cells defined by expression of CD11b and different levels of Gr1. Much larger proportions of bone marrow and peritoneal cells expressed Ly49B, all being CD11b+ and comprising multiple subpopulations defined by light scatter, F4/80, and Gr1 expression.

Multiple cytokines regulate the NK gene complex-encoded receptor repertoire of mature NK cells and T cells.

Mature NK cells comprise a highly diverse population of lymphocytes that express different permutations of receptors to facilitate recognition of diseased cells and perhaps pathogens themselves. Many of these receptors, such as those belonging to the NKRP1, NKG2, and Ly49 families are encoded in the NK gene complex (NKC). It is generally thought that these NKC-encoded receptors are acquired by a poorly understood stochastic mechanism, which operates exclusively during NK cell development, and that following maturation the repertoire is fixed.

The impact of operative complexity on patient risk factors.

Objective: The VA National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) formula for risk factors was applied to the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA)/University Hospital (UH) database. Its applicability to a civilian organization was established. Logistic regression analysis of the UH database revealed that operative complexity was significantly related to mortality only at high complexity levels.

Comparison of surgical outcomes between teaching and nonteaching hospitals in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Objective: To determine whether the investment in postgraduate education and training places patients at risk for worse outcomes and higher costs than if medical and surgical care was delivered in nonteaching settings.

Summary Background Data: The Veterans Health Administration (VA) plays a major role in the training of medical students, residents, and fellows.

Methods: The database of the VA National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was analyzed for all major noncardiac operations performed during fiscal years 1997, 1998, and 1999.

van't Hoff-Le Bel Stranger: Formation of a Phosphonium Cation with a Planar Tetracoordinate Phosphorus Atom.

A novel intriguing type of coordination mode in phosphorus chemistry has been established that is of fundamental interest in the understanding of chemical bonding. Besides the synthesis of the first planar phosphonium cation PR(4)(+) 1 by a surprisingly simple metathesis reaction, a potentially general experimental method that reaches the seemingly impossible high-energy region of basic molecular and isoelectronic ER(4) systems (E=B(-), C, N(+), Al(-), Si, P(+)) is provided.

Relation of surgical volume to outcome in eight common operations: results from the VA National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Objective: To examine, in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the relation between surgical volume and outcome in eight commonly performed operations of intermediate complexity.

Summary Background Data: In multihospital health care systems such as VHA, consideration is often given to closing low-volume surgical services, with the assumption that better surgical outcomes are achieved in hospitals with larger surgical volumes. Literature data to support this assumption in intermediate-complexity operations are either limited or controversial.

The Department of Veterans Affairs' NSQIP: the first national, validated, outcome-based, risk-adjusted, and peer-controlled program for the measurement and enhancement of the quality of surgical care. National VA Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Objective: To provide reliable risk-adjusted morbidity and mortality rates after major surgery to the 123 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) performing major surgery, and to use risk-adjusted outcomes in the monitoring and improvement of the quality of surgical care to all veterans.

Summary Background Data: Outcome-based comparative measures of the quality of surgical care among surgical services and surgical subspecialties have been elusive.

Methods: This study included prospective assessment of presurgical risk factors, process of care during surgery, and outcomes 30 days after surgery on veterans undergoing major surgery in 123 medical centers; development of multivariable risk-adjustment models; identification of high and low outlier facilities by observed-to-expected outcome ratios; and generation of annual reports of comparative outcomes to all surgical services in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

Multivariate optical computation for predictive spectroscopy.

A novel optical approach to predicting chemical and physical properties based on principal component analysis (PCA) is proposed and evaluated using a data set from earlier work. In our approach, a regression vector produced by PCA is designed into the structure of a set of paired optical filters. Light passing through the paired filters produces an analog detector signal that is directly proportional to the chemical/physical property for which the regression vector was designed.

Risk adjustment of the postoperative morbidity rate for the comparative assessment of the quality of surgical care: results of the National Veterans Affairs Surgical Risk Study.

Background: The National Veterans Affairs Surgical Risk Study was designed to collect reliable, valid data on patient risk and outcomes for major surgery in the Veterans Health Administration and to report comparative risk-adjusted postoperative mortality and morbidity rates for surgical services in the Veterans Health Administration.

Study Design: This was a cohort study conducted at 44 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers closely affiliated with university medical centers. Included were 87,078 major noncardiac operations performed under general, spinal, or epidural anesthesia between October 1, 1991, and December 31, 1993.

Risk adjustment of the postoperative mortality rate for the comparative assessment of the quality of surgical care: results of the National Veterans Affairs Surgical Risk Study.

Background: The National Veterans Affairs Surgical Risk Study was designed to collect reliable, valid data on patient risk and outcomes for major surgery in the Veterans Health Administration and to report comparative risk-adjusted postoperative mortality rates for surgical services in Veterans Health Administration.

Study Design: This cohort study was conducted in 44 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. Included were 87,078 major noncardiac operations performed under general, spinal, or epidural anesthesia between October 1, 1991, and December 31, 1993.

Postsurgical adjuvant chemotherapy of stage II breast carcinoma with or without crossover to a non-cross-resistant regimen: a Cancer and Leukemia Group B study.

Purpose: To compare two cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouracil, vincristine, and prednisone (CMFVP) regimens with a doxorubicin-based regimen--vinblastine, doxorubicin, thiotepa, and Halotestin (Upjohn, Kalamazoo, MI) (VATH)--in patients with stage II node-positive breast carcinoma.

Methods: Nine hundred forty-five women were treated with a 6-week induction course of CMFVP. They were then randomized to receive one of two consolidation CMFVP regimens: 6-week courses or 2-week courses.

Complications of needle catheter jejunostomy in 2,022 consecutive applications.

Background: We commonly use needle catheter jejunostomy (NCJ) for early enteral feeding in selected patients. Review of our approach was prompted by the suggestion that enteral feeding represents a "stress test" for the bowel and may be associated with a high complication rate.

Materials And Methods: We reviewed patients with NCJ inserted over the past 16 years by prospective database, chart review, and conference minutes, with emphasis on complications.