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With the introduction of mammographic screening, columnar cell lesions (CCLs) are observed more and more frequently because they are often associated with microcalcifications. Until now, the proliferative activity of these lesions has not been previously evaluated. Ki67 index was performed by immunohistochemistry in CCLs without atypia [columnar cell change (CCC) n = 20 and columnar cell hyperplasia without atypia (CCH without atypia) n = 20], flat epithelial atypia (FEA DIN1A n = 20), low-grade intraductal carcinoma (DIN1C n = 20), high-grade intraductal carcinoma (DIN 2–3 n = 20). Adjacent terminal duct-lobular unit (TDLU) of normal breast tissue served as control. Ki-67 index is extremely low and close in CCLs without atypia (CCC mean 0.1% and CCH mean 0.76%) and paradoxically is lower than in normal TDLU (mean 2.4%) (p < 0.001). In the FEA, in comparison with normal TDLU and CCLs without atypia, the Ki67 is higher (mean 8.2%) (p < 0.001) but extremely close to those of DIN1C (mean 8.9%) (p = 0.6 NS). Lastly, the Ki67 index is higher in DIN 2–3 (mean 25.4%) than in CCLs without atypia and FEA (p < 0.001). CCLs are disparate lesions having in common cells with columnar configuration but different proliferative characteristics. These data represent findings of biological interest which could help us to better understand these controversial lesions.

Malignant transformation and particularly malignant mixed mullerian tumor arising in extragenital endometriosis is extremely rare and occurs in the majority of cases after estrogen replacement therapy. We present a case of a 75-year-old woman who developed a ureteral malignant mullerian carcinosarcoma in a context of florid endometriosis. The patient had a history of total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy 30 years earlier for extensive endometriosis. Since 5 years, the patient has been on phytoestrogen supplementation consisting of 72 mg/day of superconcentrated soy isoflavones. This is the first case of ureteral mullerian carcinosarcoma arising in endometriosis foci after extensive phytoestrogen supplementation. Our data suggest that phytoestrogens at least in concentrated form may play a role not only in maintenance of endometriosis but also in its malignant transformation. Given the extraordinary popularity and availability of these dietary supplements, several studies are indispensable regarding their safety particularly in women with extensive endometriosis.

Although both saproxylic longhorn beetles and hoverflies benefit from the presence of woody substrates for reproduction, they differ in their requirements for floral resources and for microbiotopes of overmature and senescent trees. This led us to expect contrasting responses between the two species groups in relation to these essential resources. We examined this prediction in 22 mature oak- and beech-dominated stands of southern Belgium by relating their species assemblages to local vegetation structure and composition, altitude and landscape composition. Stands were organised in pairs as a function of their overall dead wood supply. Free-hanging window traps, stump emergence traps and Malaise traps produced 30 longhorn beetle species (1637 individuals) and 106 hoverfly species (3020 individuals). Paired-comparisons controlling for annual variation in captures showed that, unlike saproxylic hoverflies, stands with dead wood hosted more species and individuals of longhorn beetles. Accordingly, the two species groups were found to be independent on ordination axes, responding to different sets of environmental conditions. While stands dominated by oaks with a high snag volume were highly favoured by longhorn beetles, saproxylic and threatened syrphids were limited to open-stands with large trees and a well-developed, species rich herb layer providing the floral resources required for their reproduction. Our results suggest that, when defining criteria to identify or restore important habitats for saproxylic insect conservation, variables related to different aspects of dead wood supply should not be the only criteria taken into account.

Duration of vernalization requirement in various winter wheat cultivars and its inheritance in F1 and F2 have been studied after crossing of contrast genotypes. Partial dominance of shorter requirement has been revealed in F1 hybrids. Segregations in F2 populations have shown the action of two non-allelic genes of different expression. Revealed genes are proposed to designate as Vrd according to the first letters of term “vernalization requirement duration”. In conformity with this symbol the haploid genotypes of investigated cultivars are: Vrd1 vrd2 — Norin 1 and Olvia; vrd1 Vrd2 — Chayka; vrd1 vrd2 — Mironovskaya 808 and Eritrospermum 604.

Purpose: Infection with oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV-16 in particular is a leading cause of anogenital neoplasia. High-grade intraepithelial lesions require treatment because of their potential to progress to invasive cancer. Numerous preclinical studies have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of E7-directed vaccination strategies in mice tumour models. In the present study, we tested the immunogenicity of a fusion protein (PD-E7) comprising a mutated HPV-16 E7 linked to the first 108 amino acids of Haemophilus influenzae protein D, formulated in the GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals adjuvant AS02B, in patients bearing oncogenic HPV-positive cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Methods: Seven patients, five with a CIN3 and two with a CIN1, received three intramuscular injections of adjuvanted PD-E7 at 2-week intervals. Three additional CIN1 patients received a placebo. CIN3 patients underwent conization 8 weeks postvaccination. Cytokine flow cytometry and ELISA were used to monitor antigen-specific cellular and antibody responses from blood taken before and after vaccine or placebo injection. Results: Some patients had preexisting systemic IFN-γ CD4+ (1/10) and CD8+ (5/10) responses to PD-E7. Vaccination, not placebo injection, elicited systemic specific immune responses in the majority of the patients. Five vaccinated patients (71%) showed significantly increased IFN-γ CD8+ cell responses upon PD-E7 stimulation. Two responding patients generated long-term T-cell immunity toward the vaccine antigen and E7 as well as a weak H. influenzae protein D (PD)–directed CD4+ response. All the vaccinated patients, but not the placebo, made significant E7- and PD-specific IgG. Conclusions: The encouraging results obtained from this study performed on a limited number of subjects justify further analysis of the efficacy of the PD-E7/AS02B vaccine in CIN patients.

To evaluate the risk of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in women with Trichomonas vaginalis infection, and the reason remains unclear.A total of 40,000 liquid-based cytology specimens were tested from 2005 to 2008. Among these, high-risk HPV testing using the hybrid capture II assay was performed in positive cases of T. vaginalis according to the age of patients (30 years old, between 30 and 50 years old, more than 50 years old). As controls, HPV detection was also performed in 450 normal smears.T. vaginalis was found in 80 cases (0.2%). From these 80 cases, 57 were available for HPV testing (8 patients30 years old, 42 patients between 30 and 50 years old and 7 patients more than 50 years old). As controls, high-risk HPV was tested in 150 patients with normal cytology for each of these three age categories. High-risk HPV was significantly more frequently detected in women with T. vaginalis than in women with normal smear irrespective of the categories of age (P 0.01).For the first time, we demonstrated a significant prevalence of high-risk HPV in women with cytological proved T. vaginalis infection independent of the age ranges. Our data suggest a potential association between these two infectious agents by the way of a sexual intercourse and probably by a biochemical or immunological reasons.

Peritoneal implants secondary to a tubal ectopic pregnancy or extratubal omental secondary trophoblastic implants (ESTI) are a rare entity often underestimated or unknown. It can be responsible of rising in the ss-hCG titer after salpingectomy for ectopic tubal pregnancy. Moreover, implants on the omentum are exceptional. This particular localization is exceptional and its physiopathology, diagnosis, surgical management and follow-up are discussed in this paper.

The results of an intercomparison campaign of eight different long path UV-visible DOAS instruments measuring NO2, O3 and SO2 concentrations in a moderately polluted urban site are presented. For effective optical path lengths of 230 and 780 m the overall spread of these measurements (±1σ) are 5×1010, 6×1010 and 1×1010 molec·cm-3 (2.0, 2.4, and 0.4 ppb) for these molecules respectively when all instruments used a common set of absorption cross sections. The remaining differences are not completely random and the systematic differences are attributed to the different retrieval methods used for each instrument.

The monoclonal antibody Ki-67 allows to investigate the proliferative activity of tumor and is a clinically useful marker to characterize breast cancer. In this study, we have compared Ki-67 activity in 38 primary breast tumors and in their respective positive axillary lymph nodes (ALNs).Immunohistochemistry with the monoclonal antibody against Ki-67 was performed in 38 nodes positive breast carcinomas and in their respective positive ALNs. Statistical analysis was performed with the Student's t-test (2-tailed) for equality of means.The proliferation index measured by Ki-67 expression was significatively higher (p0.02) in ALN than in the primary tumor (29.8% v.s. 21.8%).These results strongly suggest a higher proliferation and perhaps aggressivity of metastatic neoplastic cells when compared with their respective primary tumor. Perhaps, in the future, these differences in proliferation behavior might be taken into account when considering the choice of the adjuvant therapy.

The υ5 band of methylacetylene has been studied simultaneously by means of CO2 Laser Stark spectroscopy and high resolution infrared absorption spectroscopy (0.012 cm−1). The primary aim of this work was to assign all the Stark coincidences. Effective vibration-rotation parameters and the dipole moment of the v5=1 state have been determined.

A Stark pattern with hyperfine structure of CD3Cl, in thev 2 andv 5 bands region, was recorded with the 9P38 CO2 laser line. Besides the conventional one-photon transitions due tov 2 andv 5 lines, three two-photon resonance transitions, without Doppler broadening, were observed. They were assigned to the PQ(6,6) and PQ(7,6) of thev 2+v 5 band.

A laser heterodyne spectrometer for the 10 μm region has been built. A 5 MHz apparatus function is obtained. The improvement of this spectrometer using a dual-beam technique is described. The folding effects in heterodyne spectroscopy are discussed. The recorded lineshapes are explained. An ethylene spectrum is shown as an example.

Infrared spectra of theV2 andV5 bands of CD3Cl have been recorded with a resolution of about 0.015 cm−1 and assigned. Moreover Stark patterns of the trideuterated methyl chloride for two CO2 laser lines with saturated Lamb dips have been analysed. Many new strong coincidences showing hyperfine structure are observed and assigned.

Evidence that the lowest excited state of uranyl ion is a triplet state is presented. When uranyl in aqueous solution is complexed with various species (nitrate ion, hydrogen sulfate ion, molecular oxygen) the vibrational fine structure of its absorption spectrum in the portion 3500-5000 A always undergoes the same change, as compared with this structure for uncomplexed uranyl. The observed is a variation in the intensity distribution of the fine structure maxima. Besides a change in intensity distribution, an overall increase in absorption occurs by completing uranyl. (P.C.H.)