Materials analysis and particle probe: a compact diagnostic system for in situ analysis of plasma-facing components (invited).

The objective of the materials analysis particle probe (MAPP) in NSTX is to enable prompt and direct analysis of plasma-facing components exposed to plasma discharges. MAPP allows multiple samples to be introduced to the level of the plasma-facing surface without breaking vacuum and analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ion-scattering and direct recoil spectroscopy, and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) immediately following the plasma discharge. MAPP is designed to operate as a diagnostic within the ∼12 min NSTX minimum between-shot time window to reveal fundamental plasma-surface interactions. Initial calibration demonstrates MAPP's XPS and TDS capabilities.

[CT-guided therapy of osteoid osteoma by drill trepanation of the nidus. Clinical follow-up results]. / CT-gesteuerte Therapie des Osteoidosteoms durch Nidusbohrung: Klinische Langzeitergebnisse.

PURPOSE: Evaluation of technical success and follow-up of patients with osteoid osteoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 9 patients (3 w, 6 m) with a mean age of 22.3 years suffering from an osteoid osteoma localized in the femur were treated with a combination therapy based on drill trepanation of the nidus and subsequent installation of 1-2 ml ethanol (96%). The treatment was done under CT-guidance in general anaesthesia. RESULTS: During the follow-up period of 20.6 months (10 to 39 months) one relapse occurred within 3 months. This was treated with the same percutaneous method. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous removal of intracortical osteoid osteomas under CT-guidance had success in this study, was technical easy, and a had low relapse rate. In addition the duration of hospitalisation is shorten. Meanwhile other studies have used additive ablation with radiofrequency. A second study has been started in our department using a thermoablative procedure. In a comparison between surgical and radiological methods, the rates of relapse are similar (9% vs. 23% surgically). The CT-guided removal of intracortical osteoid osteomas should be the procedure of first choice.

Villoglandular adenocarcinoma of the cervix: a report of three cases and review of the literature.

Villoglandular adenocarcinoma of the cervix is a distinct histologic type of cervical cancer. Fewer than 60 cases have been reported in the literature. Previous reports suggest that, due to the highly favorable prognosis of this rare histologic type of cervical cancer, conservative surgical therapy with cervical conization or extrafascial hysterectomy alone may be undertaken. In this series, three cases of villoglandular adenocarcinoma of the cervix are described. Preoperatively in each case, the cancer was confined to the cervix and histologic well-differentiated villoglandular adenocarcinoma of the cervix was confirmed. Extended hysterectomy was performed in all cases. In one case, residual invasive endocervical adenocarcinoma was noted. Careful review of the histologic characteristics of these tumors is needed when deciding if these patients can be managed with conservative therapy.

Seroprevalence of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi in a population of horses in central Texas.

Four hundred sixty-nine serum samples were obtained from horses admitted to the internal medicine service of the Texas Veterinary Medical Center between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 1990. Serum samples were tested by ELISA for antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi. Of these 469 samples, 1 (0.2%) was repeatedly seropositive for the organism by ELISA. Confirmatory testing by protein immunoblot was negative. The observed seroprevalence was 0%; the upper bound of the 95% confidence interval was 0.6%. These findings indicate the evidence of infection with B burgdorferi is presently uncommon in horses in central Texas.

Light-controlled inhibition of hypocotyl growth inSinapis alba L. seedlings : Fluence rate dependence of hourly light pulses and continuous irradiation.

Fluence rate-response curves were determined for the inhibition of hypocotyl growth in 54 h old dark-grownSinapis alba L. seedlings by continuous or hourly 5 min red light irradiation (24 h). In both cases a fluence rate-dependence was observed. More than 90% of the continuous light effect could be substituted for by hourly light pulses if the total fluence of the two different light regimes was the same. Measurements of the far red absorbing form of phytochrome ([P fr]) and [P fr]/[P tot] (total phytochrome) showed a strong fluence rate-dependence under continuous and pulsed light which partially paralleled the fluence rate-response curves for the inhibition of the hypocotyl growth.