Settling the half-life of 60Fe: fundamental for a versatile astrophysical chronometer.

In order to resolve a recent discrepancy in the half-life of 60Fe, we performed an independent measurement with a new method that determines the 60Fe content of a material relative to 55Fe (t1/2=2.744 yr) with accelerator mass spectrometry. Our result of (2.50±0.12)×10(6) yr clearly favors the recently reported value (2.62±0.04)×10(6) yr, and rules out the older result of (1.49±0.27)×10(6) yr. The present weighted mean half-life value of (2.60±0.05)×10(6) yr substantially improves the reliability as an important chronometer for astrophysical applications in the million-year time range. This includes its use as a sensitive probe for studying recent chemical evolution of our Galaxy, the formation of the early Solar System, nucleosynthesis processes in massive stars, and as an indicator of a recent nearby supernova.

AMS of the Minor Plutonium Isotopes.

VERA, the Vienna Environmental Research Accelerator, is especially equipped for the measurement of actinides, and performs a growing number of measurements on environmental samples. While AMS is not the optimum method for each particular plutonium isotope, the possibility to measure 239Pu, 240Pu, 241Pu, 242Pu and 244Pu on the same AMS sputter target is a great simplification. We have obtained a first result on the global fallout value of 244Pu/239Pu = (5.7 ± 1.0) × 10-5 based on soil samples from Salzburg prefecture, Austria. Furthermore, we suggest using the 242Pu/240Pu ratio as an estimate of the initial 241Pu/239Pu ratio, which allows dating of the time of irradiation based solely on Pu isotopes. We have checked the validity of this estimate using literature data, simulations, and environmental samples from soil from the Salzburg prefecture (Austria), from the shut down Garigliano Nuclear Power Plant (Sessa Aurunca, Italy) and from the Irish Sea near the Sellafield nuclear facility. The maximum deviation of the estimated dates from the expected ages is 6 years, while relative dating of material from the same source seems to be possible with a precision of less than 2 years. Additional information carried by the minor plutonium isotopes may allow further improvements of the precision of the method.

Nomogram-Based Prognostic Evaluation of Gastric Cancer Patients with Low Counts of Examined Lymph Nodes Outperforms the Predictive Ability of the 7th and 8th Editions of the American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging System.

BACKGROUND: The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system has limited accuracy in predicting survival of gastric cancer patients with inadequate counts of evaluated lymph nodes (LNs). We therefore aimed to develop a prognostic nomogram suitable for clinical applications in such cases. METHODS: A total of 1511 noncardia gastric cancer patients treated between 1990 and 2010 in the academic surgical center were reviewed to compare the 7th and 8th editions of the AJCC staging system. A nomogram was developed for the prediction of 5-year survival in patients with less than 16 LNs evaluated (n = 546). External validation was performed using datasets derived from the Polish Gastric Cancer Study Group (n = 668) and the SEER database (n = 11,225). RESULTS: The 8th edition of AJCC staging showed better overall discriminatory power compared to the previous version, but no improvement was found for patients with < 16 evaluated LNs. The developed nomogram had better concordance index (0.695) than the former (0.682) or latest (0.680) staging editions, including patients subject to neoadjuvant treatment, and calibration curves showed excellent agreement between the nomogram-predicted and actual survival. High discriminatory power was also demonstrated for both validation cohorts. Subsequently, the nomogram showed the best accuracy for the prediction of 5-year survival through the time-dependent ROC curve analysis in the training and validation cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: A clinically relevant nomogram was built for the prediction of 5-year survival in patients with inadequate numbers of LNs evaluated in surgical specimens. The predictive accuracy of the nomogram was validated in two Western populations.

Anatomical classification of the shape and topography of the operated stomach.

The aim of the study was to present the classification of anatomical variants of the operated stomach, based on radiological and historical data. Different anatomical variants of the operated organ were found in 431 out of 2034 patients examined in the years 2006-2010. Four main groups were established: abnormal position along longitudinal (I) and horizontal axis (II), as well as abnormal shape (III) and stomach connections (IV). An additional group (V) encloses mixed forms that combine features of two or more of the main groups. The first group contains the partial and total translocation of the stomach into the thoracic cavity after the partial or total oesophagectomy. Depending on the applied surgical techniques used during the total oesophagectomy, the stomach could be located anteriorly or posteriorly to the pericardial sac. An elongated and gastrectatic form often with signs of pylorostenosis is visible in patients treated by vagotomy. The consequences of fundoplication included: lack of or narrow cardiac angle, and often a mild form of stomach cascade. The most common abnormal shape of the stomach was secondary to gastrectomy and gastric bending. The final organ shape depends on the type of applied surgical procedure that maintains physiological connection with the duodenum or an un-anatomical one, mostly with the jejunal loop. In banding, the body of the stomach forms an hourglass at the level of the artificial adjustable band, typically applied in surgical treatment of obesity (slim surgery).

Retrospective determination of fallout radionuclides and 236U/238U, 233U/236U and 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios on air filters from Vienna and Salzburg, Austria.

137Cs and 241Pu (via 241Am) concentrations were measured γ-spectrometrically on air filters from the early 1960s (mainly from 1964-66) from Vienna, Austria, and an alpine station in Salzburg, Austria. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) was used to determine 240Pu/239Pu, 236U/238U and 233U/236U atom ratios as well as 236U, 239Pu and 240Pu atom concentrations. The maximum 236U/238U atom ratio of these unique undisturbed global fallout samples was (1.19 ± 0.31) × 10-5 in spring 1964. The 233U/236U atom ratios were found within (0.15-0.49) × 10-2 and indicate that the weapons tests of the early 1960s can be excluded as 233U source. The 236U/239Pu atom ratios were calculated in the range of 0.22-0.48.

Retrospective determination of U and Pu isotopes and atom ratios in lung samples from Vienna, Austria.

Uranium and plutonium isotope concentrations as well as 236U/238U and 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios were measured by AMS in human lung samples from the early 1960s. The 236U concentrations as well as the 236U/238U atom ratios show a maximum in 1964, 239Pu and 240Pu concentrations are increasing continually from 1962 to 1965. 236U/238U atom ratios are lower by two orders of magnitude compared to corresponding aerosol data from Vienna, probably due to older 238U deposited in the lungs, enhanced 238U concentrations in the city air, and activity partition within different particle sizes. The 236U/239Pu atom ratios in lung samples are also lower than expected from the aerosol data, while 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios lie well within the range typical for nuclear bomb fallout.

Adjuvant chemotherapy with etoposide, adriamycin and cisplatin compared with surgery alone in the treatment of gastric cancer: a phase III randomized, multicenter, clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy with etoposide, Adriamycin and cisplatin (EAP) after potentially curative resections for gastric cancer. METHODS: After surgery, patients were randomly assigned to the EAP or control arm. Chemotherapy included 3 courses, administered every 28 days. Each cycle consisted of doxorubicin (20 mg/m(2)) on days 1 and 7, cisplatin (40 mg/m(2)) on days 2 and 8, and etoposide (120 mg/m(2)) on days 4, 5, and 6. RESULTS: Of 309 eligible patients, 141 were allocated to chemotherapy and 154 to the supportive care group. Four (2.8%) treatment-related deaths were recorded, including 3 due to septic complications of myelosuppression and 1 due to cardiocirculatory failure. Grade 3 or 4 toxicities were found in 17 (22%) patients. According to the intention-to-treat analysis, the median survival was 41.3 months (95% confidence interval, 24.5-58.2) and 35.9 months (95% confidence interval, 25.5-46.3) in the chemotherapy and control group, respectively (p = 0.398). Subgroup analysis revealed survival benefit from chemotherapy in patients with tumors infiltrating the serosa and in those with 7-15 metastatic lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: Three cycles of EAP regimen postoperatively offer no survival advantage in gastric cancer patients.

European roe deer antlers as an environmental archive for fallout (236)U and (239)Pu.

Anthropogenic (236)U and (239)Pu were measured in European roe deer antlers hunted between 1955 and 1977 which covers and extends beyond the period of intensive nuclear weapons testing (1954-1962). The antlers were hunting trophies, and hence the hunting area, the year of shooting and the approximate age of each animal is given. Uranium and plutonium are known to deposit in skeletal tissue. Since antler histology is similar to bone, both elements were expected in antlers. Furthermore, roe deer shed their antlers annually, and hence antlers may provide a time-resolved environmental archive for fallout radionuclides. The radiochemical procedure is based on a Pu separation step by anion exchange (Dowex 1 × 8) and a subsequent U purification by extraction chromatography using UTEVA(®). The samples were measured by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry at the VERA facility (University of Vienna). In addition to the (236)U and (239)Pu concentrations, the (240)Pu/(239)Pu isotopic ratios were determined with a mean value of 0.172 ± 0.023 which is in agreement with the ratio of global fallout (∼0.18). Rather high (236)U/(238)U ratios of the order of 10(-6) were observed. These measured ratios, where the (236)U arises only from global fallout, have implications for the use of the (236)U/(238)U ratio as a fingerprint for nuclear accidents or releases from nuclear facilities. Our investigations have shown the potential to use antlers as a temporally resolved archive for the uptake of actinides from the environment.

Esomeprazole 20 mg vs. pantoprazole 20 mg for maintenance therapy of healed erosive oesophagitis: results from the EXPO study.

BACKGROUND: Following initial healing of erosive oesophagitis, most patients require maintenance therapy to prevent relapse. AIM: To compare endoscopic and symptomatic remission rates over 6 months' maintenance therapy with esomeprazole or pantoprazole (both 20 mg once daily) in patients with healed erosive oesophagitis. METHODS: Patients with symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and endoscopically confirmed erosive oesophagitis at baseline were randomized to receive esomeprazole 40 mg or pantoprazole 40 mg for up to 8 weeks. Patients with healed erosive oesophagitis and free of moderate/severe heartburn and acid regurgitation at 4 weeks or, if necessary, 8 weeks entered the 6-month maintenance therapy phase of the study. RESULTS: A total of 2766 patients (63% men; mean age 50 years) received esomeprazole 20 mg (n = 1377) or pantoprazole 20 mg (n = 1389) and comprised the intention-to-treat population. Following 6 months of treatment, the proportion of patients in endoscopic and symptomatic remission was significantly greater for those receiving esomeprazole 20 mg (87.0%) than pantoprazole 20 mg (74.9%, log-rank test P < 0.0001). Esomeprazole 20 mg produced a higher proportion of patients free of moderate to severe gastro-oesophageal reflux disease symptoms and fewer discontinuations because of symptoms than pantoprazole 20 mg (92.2% vs. 88.5%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Esomeprazole 20 mg is more effective than pantoprazole 20 mg for maintenance therapy following initial healing of erosive oesophagitis and relief of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease symptoms.

A randomized comparative study of esomeprazole 40 mg versus pantoprazole 40 mg for healing erosive oesophagitis: the EXPO study.

AIM: To assess the efficacy of the 8-week therapy with esomeprazole 40 mg vs. pantoprazole 40 mg for healing erosive oesophagitis (EE) as part of a management study. METHODS: Patients had a history of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease symptoms (> or =6 months) and had suffered heartburn on at least 4 of the 7 days preceding enrollment. Endoscopies were performed to grade EE severity using the Los Angeles (LA) classification system at baseline, 4 and 8 weeks (if unhealed at 4 weeks). Heartburn severity was recorded by patients on diary cards. The primary end point was healing of EE by week 8 of treatment. RESULTS: Of 3170 patients randomized, the intent-to-treat population consisted of 3151 patients (63% male, mean age: 50.6 years, 27% Helicobacter pylori-positive). Esomeprazole 40 mg healed a significantly greater proportion of EE patients than pantoprazole 40 mg at both 4 weeks (life table estimates: esomeprazole 81%, pantoprazole 75%, P < 0.001) and 8 weeks (life table estimates: esomeprazole 96%, pantoprazole 92%, P < 0.001). The median time to reach sustained heartburn resolution was 6 days in patients receiving esomeprazole and 8 days with pantoprazole (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Esomeprazole 40 mg is more effective than pantoprazole 40 mg for healing EE and providing resolution of associated heartburn.

Sustained cytokine delivery for anticancer vaccination: liposomes as alternative for gene-transfected tumor cells.

Vaccination with tumor cells genetically engineered to produce interleukin (IL)-2 is an attractive strategy to enhance antitumor immune responses. The improved antitumor immunity upon vaccination with IL-2 gene-modified tumor cells may be due to the prolonged presence of the cytokine at the vaccination site. Because liposomes have been used for sustained delivery of a variety of agents, we compared the protective effect of vaccines consisting of IL-2 gene-modified B16 melanoma cells to that of vaccines composed of IL-2 liposomes and irradiated melanoma cells. The results indicate that both approaches equally protect against a lethal challenge with B16 melanoma cells. More than 20% of the protected animals developed vitiligo at the vaccination and/or tumor challenge site.

Selected biochemical parameters and ultrastructural picture of pancreas due to Ulinastatin treatment of experimental acute pancreatitis.

Urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI, Ulinastatin) is a protease inhibitor that has not been yet used in Europe in any experimental trial of severe acute pancreatitis. We have combined the experimental model of severe, hemorrhagic form of acute pancreatitis, and pharmacological treatment with a protease inhibitor. Male Wistar rats were divided into four experimental groups: healthy controls, operated, operated with experimentally induced acute pancreatitis, and animals with acute pancreatitis--treated with UTI preparations. Subjects in the last group were administered UTI intraperitoneally 1 h after pancreatitis induction in an average standard dose of 3000 units/animal. Additionally, four subgroups were created in this treated group, based on the UTI administration time--number of standard doses received: 2 h - 1 standard dose, 6 h - 5 standard doses, 12 h - 11 doses, 24 and 48 h - 15 doses. Statistically significant differences in the serum amylase and lipase activity between the UTI-treated and non-treated subjects were found. In the group of non-treated animals, there a profound destruction of cellular organelles was observed with a total degradation of nuceli, endoplasmatic reticulum and zymogen granules. However, in the UTI-treated subjects, pathological processes proceeded with the significantly slower pace and in much smaller quantities.

Interleukin-2 gene-modified allogeneic melanoma cell vaccines can induce cross-protection against syngeneic tumors in mice.

Vaccination using well-characterized allogeneic tumor cell lines expressing standardized doses of immunostimulatory cytokines is an attractive alternative for autologous gene-transfected tumor cell vaccines. In the present study, we show that vaccination with irradiated allogeneic K1 735 (H-2k) or B16F10 (H-2b) melanoma cells induces a moderate degree of cross-protection against the M-3 melanoma (H-2d) in DBA/2 mice. Cross-protection against the syngeneic tumor was markedly improved when the allogeneic vaccines were transfected with the interleukin-2 (IL-2) gene. The IL-2 gene-modified allogeneic vaccines were effective for prophylactic vaccination against subsequent tumor challenge and for therapeutic vaccination against pre-existing tumor deposits, with efficacies that were comparable with that of the IL-2 gene-modified syngeneic vaccines. Cross-protection correlated with the cytotoxic activity of splenocytes against M-3 targets. Allogeneic vaccination was not effective in another model, against the B16F10 melanoma in C57BL/6 mice, irrespective of genetic modification with the IL-2 or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor genes.

A novel eubacterial phylum: comparative nucleotide sequence analysis of a tuf-gene of Flexistipes sinusarabici.

A tuf-gene of Flexistipes sinusarabici has been cloned and sequenced. The primary structure of the predicted elongation factor protein was compared with available sequences of homologous genes and elongation factors Tu or 1 alpha of eubacteria, archaebacteria and eukaryotes. Based on elongation factor Tu data Flexistipes sinusarabici belongs to the eubacterial kingdom but no specific relationship to any phylum was detected. The amino acid of the elongation factor Tu of F. sinusarabici exhibits no striking pecularities. Among the highly conserved positions only two are different. Sites of known or postulated functions are conserved.

Topography of Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric cancer patients.

The role of Helicobacter pylori in gastric carcinogenesis is a subject of an increasing interest. In this report we describe a prospective study on the resected stomachs to establish the prevalence of H. pylori in different types of gastric carcinoma. The material consisted of 62 consecutive patients operated on stomach adenocarcinomas Fifty six percent of the patients were intestinal type, 34%--diffuse type and 10%--mixed type. The presence of H. pylori was studied in specimens from surgically removed stomachs. The conformation of the bacterial infection was done by means of rapid urease test, microbiological culture, Warthin-Starry and immunohistochemical staining. The overall prevalence of H. pylori infection was 69% (43/62). There was a statistically significant difference in the infection rates between the types of carcinoma--75% in the intestinal type and 62% in the diffuse type. The most sensitive was immunohistochemical staining. The bacterial colonies were cumulated far from the tumor tissue. In cardiac cancer the most intense of infection was an antrum and lower part of gastric body. In opposite; in antrum and pylorus cancer the scope of colonisation increased in fundus and subcardiac region with statistical signification. We could not detect H. pylori in the tumor tissue itself as in the normal mucosa of the stomach. In gastric antrum the most intense colonisation was detected on mucosal atrophy, but in the upper part of the stomach--on the mucosal metaplasia.

Assessment of prognostic significance of cytoplasmic survivin expression in advanced oesophageal cancer.

Survivin is a member of the family of proteins, which inhibit apoptosis (inhibitor of apoptosis proteins - IAP). Expression of survivin was found in colorectal cancer, neuroblastoma, bladder cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and breast cancer. There is some recent data indicating the correlation of poor prognosis and worse response to chemotherapy in patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) expressing survivin. The aim of the present study was to assess survivin expression in cancerous tissue of patients with advanced OSCC and to test the potential correlation between survivin expression and clinicopathological data. Forty two patients (mean age 58.36+/-8.97 yrs), who were oesophagectomised due to squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic oesophagus between 1998 and 2000, were retrospectively analysed. Cytoplasmic survivin expression, examined immunohistochemically, was found in 35 (83.33%) cases. No statistically significant correlation between survivin expression in the tumour and patients' gender, TNM stage, or vascular involvement was noted. The mean survival of patients with cytoplasmic survivin expression (17.81+/-5.51 months) was not statistically different to those with negative survivin staining (16+/-6.28 months) as assessed by Mantel-Cox test (p=0.49). Univariate regression analysis revealed UICC staging as the only predictor of survival in the analysed group (p<0.05). These results indicate that the cytoplasmic survivin expression does not seem to be the prognostic factor in advanced cases of OSCC.

Vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor in patients with squamous cell oesophageal cancer.

It is suggested that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) play an important role in tumor-induced angiogenesis. The purpose of this study was to estimate the correlation between VEGF and bFGF levels and tumor pathological status according to pTNM classification in patients with squamous cell oesophageal cancer. A group of 25 healthy controls and 32 consecutive patients with oesophageal cancer were included in this study. Serum VEGF and bFGF levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Quantikine R&D Systems). Serum VEGF and bFGF levels were significantly elevated in the patient groups (VEGF: 146.0 pg/ml, 79.0-386.3 pg/ml vs. 38.0 pg/ml, 6.5-135.1 pg/ml, p<0.005, and bFGF: 5.2 pg/ml, 1.2-10.6 pg/ml vs. 2.06 pg/ml, 0.07-4.0 pg/ml, p<0.02 Fisher test). The highest correlation between serum VEGF and bFGF levels were found in patients with advanced cancers, especially with: T4, N1, and M1 factors. The VEGF and bFGF levels were significantly higher in patients with pT4 (p<0.01). Patients with N1 lymph node invasion, compared with N0 factor, have higher levels of angiogenetic factors (p<0.04). Also in patients with advanced cancers with liver metastases the serum levels VEGF and bFGF were significantly higher (M1 vs. M0, VEGF p<0.001 and bFGF p<0.05). Consecutive monitoring of VEGF and bFGF serum levels may be a useful prognostic marker for patients with squamous cell oesophageal cancer.

Circulating anti-p53 antibodies in esophageal cancer patients.

Circulating anti-p53 protein antibodies (p53-Abs) have been detected in some cancer patients. The aim of the study was to determine the presence of circulating anti-p53 protein antibodies and their clinical significance in patients with esophageal carcinoma. Serum specimens from 75 consecutive patients with squamous cell carcinomas and 10 healthy subjects were studied. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA--Pharma Cell) was used to detect p53-Abs. At the time of diagnosis 20 (26.6%) of 75 analyzed patients had positive result in the p53-Abs test, but not any of the healthy subjects. The positive rate was 25% (1/4) cases in stage I, 41% (10/24) cases in stage IIA, 0% (0/8) cases in stage IIB, 28% (8/28) cases in stage III and 9% (1/11) cases in stage IV. In respect of tumour differentiation, cases graded as G1, G2 and G3 were positive in 28.5% (4/14), 25.9% (7/27) and 26.4% (9/34), respectively. There was no correlation between presence of p53-Abs and stage, rumour differentiation, lymph nodes metastases, tumour size, patient age and sex. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that serum p53-Abs did not correlate with cliniocopathologic feature of esophageal carcinoma.

Reinvestigation of airborne 210Pb, 137Cs and 207Bi in Vienna (Austria) after atmospheric nuclear weapons tests.

Reconstruction of atmospheric 210Pb and 137Cs activity concentrations occurring in Vienna immediately after the atmospheric nuclear weapons tests shall answer the question, whether artificial 210Pb has been produced by fusion devices using lead materials. If so, 207Bi also can be expected. In 1962, weekly average values for 210Pb were between 0.08 +/- 0.02 and 1.31 +/- 0.30 mBq/m2, 137Cs amounts up to 5.1 +/- 0.6 mBq/m3. 207Bi remains below the detection limit, viz. < 0.5 mBq/m3. Bimonthly averages for the periods 1962-1964 and 1974-1975 show 137Cs activity concentrations with typical springtime maxima occurring together with low 210Pb values and 207Bi < 0.02 mBq/m3. Annual averages of 210Pb are varying between 0.27 and 0.53 mBq/m3, independent of whether atmospheric tests have been performed or not. Comparison of the activity ratios 207Bi/210Pb, 207Bi/137Cs and 210Pb/137Cs with published data, leads to the conclusion that no evidence exists for a significant production of 210Pb by nuclear explosions, neither after the Soviet tests in 1961-1962 nor after the Chinese tests in 1973-1976.