The objective of this study was to describe the experience of genetic testing in Austrian women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation in terms of preventive measures taken and incident cancers diagnosed. We ...collected clinical information on 246 Austrian women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation tested between 1995 and 2012 and followed 182 of them for an average of 6.5 years. Of the 90 women who were cancer‐free at baseline, 21.4% underwent preventive bilateral mastectomy, 46.1% had preventive bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy, and 1 took tamoxifen; 58.8% of the at‐risk women underwent at least one screening breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Of the 85 women with breast cancer, 69.4% had a unilateral mastectomy or lumpectomy and 30.6% had a contralateral mastectomy. In the follow‐up period, 14 new invasive breast cancers (6 first primary and 8 contralateral), 1 ductal carcinoma in situ case, 2 incident ovarian cancer cases, and 1 peritoneal cancer were diagnosed. In Austria, the majority of healthy women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation opt for preventive oophorectomy and MRI screening to manage their breast cancer risk; few have preventive mastectomy or take tamoxifen.
The now gamma -ray burst (GRB) mission Swift has obtained pointed observations of several classical novae in outburst. We analyzed all the observations of classical novae from the Swift archive up to ...2006 June 30. We analyzed usable observations of 12 classical novae and found 4 nondetectlons, 3 weak sources, and 5 strong sources. This includes detections of two novae exhibiting spectra resembling those of supersoft X-ray binary source spectra (SSS), implying ongoing nuclear burning on the white dwarf surface. With these new Swift data, we add to the growing statistics of the X-ray duration and characteristics of classical novae.
Buildings housing livestock are the second largest source of ammonia (NH
3) emissions from UK agriculture. In the UK
c. 42% of NH
3 emissions from buildings are from those in which cattle and pigs ...are bedded on straw. Additional straw may reduce NH
3 emission by reducing airflow across surfaces soiled by urine, and by immobilization of ammonium–N. The object of this study was to quantify the effects of increasing straw use on NH
3 emission from buildings housing cattle or pigs. The extra straw was applied in increments of up to 100%, either over the entire floor (broadcast) or targeted to the areas where most excreta were deposited. An increase of 33% straw, broadcast over the entire floor, reduced NH
3 emission from cattle by 50%, but greater addition did not give any further significant reduction. However, for pigs only the broadcast addition of 100% more straw reduced NH
3 emission and then by only
c. 20%. Targeted use of an additional 33% straw reduced emission from cattle by 22%, compared with broadcasting the same quantity of straw, but further additions of targeted straw use did not increase abatement. When the straw was targeted in the pig buildings there was no benefit from using additional straw. Thus optimum results may be obtained from an addition of 33% extra straw, targeted to the soiled areas for cattle, but 100% extra straw broadcast over the whole floor for pigs.
Aims.We present the period analysis of unfiltered photometric observations of V5116 Sgr (Nova Sgr 2005 #2) and search for superhump candidates in novae remnants. Methods.The PDM method for period ...analysis was used. The masses of the novae componets we are estimated from the secondary mass – orbital period and primary mass – decline time relations. Results.We find that 13 nights of V5116 Sgr observations in the year 2006 are modulated with a period of 0.1238 ± 0.0001 d (2.9712 ± 0.0024 h). Following the shape of the phased light curves and no apparent change in the value of the periodicity in different subsamples of the data, we interpreted the period as orbital in nature. The binary system then falls within the period gap of the orbital period distribution of cataclysmic variables. From the maximum magnitude – rate of decline relation, we estimated a maximum absolute visual magnitude of MVmax = -8.85 ± 0.04 mag using the measured value of decline t2 = 6.5 ± 1.0 d. The mass-period relation for cataclysmic variables yields a secondary mass estimate of about 0.26 ± 0.05 ${M}_{\rm \odot}$. We propose that V5116 Sgr is a high inclination system showing an irradiation effect of the secondary star. No fully developed accretion disc up to the tidal radius with the value lower than 3.5 $\times$ 1010 cm is probable. The mass ratio was estimated in a few novae and the presence or absence of superhumps in these systems was compared with the mass ratio limit for superhumps of about 0.35. We find that, in the majority of novae with expected superhumps, this variability has not been found yet. Therefore, more observations of these systems is encouraged.
SUMMARY
Objective
To outline the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSTFT) and Evelina London Children's Hospital (ELCH) demand management plan for human albumin solution (HAS) and usage.
...Background
There is no UK‐wide guidance governing the use of HAS. A severe shortage in 2015 prompted a Trust demand management programme. Indications were categorised according to locally agreed colour code and ASFA categories.
Methods
Following the implementation of the demand management programme, a 6‐month audit of HAS usage was completed.
Results
A total of 1303.1 L of HAS was used in 1139 infusions; 737 infusions were 20% HAS, accounting for 175.7 L (13.5%) in 181 patients. Indications for 20% HAS were red in 53.9% (94.7 L), blue in 26.5% (46.5 L) and grey in 19.6% (34.5 L). The remaining 1127.4 L (86.5%) infused were of 4.5 and 5 % HAS. A total of 1102.3 L (97.8%) was used for plasma exchange, 941.4 L (85.4%) ASFA category I, 93.7 L (8.5%) category II, 25.5 L (2.3%) category IV and 41.7 L (3.8%) for indications not specified according to ASFA; 25.1 L (2.2%) were used for a grey indication (volume resuscitation for hypovolaemia).
Conclusions
The demand management programme provides surveillance of indications and retrospective verification of appropriate use. The majority of HAS indications were appropriate. Plasma exchange accounted for 84.6% of HAS usage and will be the focus of further demand management strategies. The demand management programme whilst aiming to promote best transfusion practice also ensures a tool to manage future shortages according to indication and available supply.
We analyze the advantages of using ultra-cold coherent sources of atoms for matter-wave interferometry in space. We present a proof-of-principle experiment that is based on an analysis of results ...previously published, from which we extract the ratio h/m for 87Rb. This measurement shows that a limitation in accuracy arises due to atomic interactions within the Bose--Einstein condensate. Finally, we discuss the promising role of coherent-matter-wave sensors, in particular inertial sensors, in future fundamental physics missions in space.
BRCA1/2 mutations predispose to early onset breast and ovarian cancers. The phenotypic expression of mutant alleles, however, is thought to be modified by factors that are also involved in the ...pathogenesis of sporadic breast cancer. One such protein is IGF-I, one of the strongest mitogens to breast cancer cells in vitro. We have utilized immunohistochemistry to compare the intratumoral IGF-I and IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) protein expression in 57 BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and 102 matched breast cancer patients without a family history in a nested case–control study. BRCA1 silencing by siRNA was used to investigate the effect of BRCA mutations on IGF-I protein expression. IGF-I protein expression was detected in tumoral epithelium and surrounding stroma, and was significantly upregulated in tumors of BRCA mutation carriers when compared with matched sporadic tumors (epithelial: 87.7% vs 61.8%, P=0.001; stromal: 73.7% vs 34.3%, P<0.001). By contrast, IGF-IR protein expression was confined to malignant epithelium and was unchanged in mutation carriers (52.6% vs 39.2%, P=0.310). While in mutation carriers IGF-IR protein expression was significantly correlated with both epithelial (P=0.003) and stromal IGF-I (P=0.02), this association was less pronounced in sporadic breast cancer (P=0.02 respectively). siRNA-mediated downregulation of BRCA1 in primary human mammary gland cells triggered upregulation of endogenous intracellular IGF-I in vitro. The increased intratumoral IGF-I protein expression in BRCA mutation carriers suggests an involvement of the IGF-I/IGF-IR axis in the biological behavior of breast cancers in this population and could define a potential therapeutic target.
Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) with high titers to West Nile virus was used as an adjuvant therapy for a patient with West Nile virus encephalitis that did not respond to supportive care. We ...present this case report and review the evidence supporting the use of high-titer IVIG.
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent gynecological disease causing pelvic pain and infertility. Impaired estrogen metabolism is thought to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of the disease. ...While there is some information on factors involved in the synthesis of E2, information on E2-deactivating enzymes is still very limited. To elucidate the intracrinology of endometriotic tissues, the authors analyze the expression of aromatase and E2-inactivating estrogen sulfotransferase (EST) in paired biopsies obtained simultaneously from the endometrium and from endometrial lesions of each of 35 patients with peritoneal or ovarian endometriosis and in cycling endometria from 33 women without endometriosis. Protein localization was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. Aromatase expression was found in endometriotic glands in 32 of 35 cases and was elevated in comparison to corresponding uterine endometria (25 of 35 cases, P = .021, chi(2) test). The difference was even more pronounced when uterine endometria from endometriosis patients were compared with that of healthy controls (8 of 33 cases, P < .001, chi(2) test). The EST levels were essentially unchanged. The elevated expression of aromatase in eutopic and ectopic endometrium from patients with endometriosis in the presence of comparable EST provides further evidence for unopposed local biosynthesis of estrogens in endometriosis.
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