Showing papers by "University of Lausanne published in 1989"
TL;DR: This paper reviews the use ofMeta-Analysis as a data pooling technique in a non-technical manner and illustrates the type of information that can be obtained from a Meta-Analysis, that is not conventionally available from individual trials.
3,787 citations
TL;DR: It is suggested that the ratio-dependent form of the trophic function is a simple way of accounting for many types of heterogeneity that occur in large scale natural systems, while the prey- dependent form may be more appropriate for homogeneous systems like chemostats.
1,290 citations
TL;DR: The analysis of specific clones indicates that both p2 and p30 are very promiscuous in their capacity to bind to class II.
Abstract: To understand the effect of human MHC class II polymorphism on antigen recognition, we analyzed the memory T cell response to three tetanus toxin epitopes defined by three short synthetic peptides (p2, p4 and p30). We found that p2 and p30 are universally immunogenic, since they are recognized by all primed donors, irrespective of their MHC haplotypes. The analysis of specific clones indicates that both peptides are very promiscuous in their capacity to bind to class II. p30 can be recognized in association with DRw11(5), 7, 9 and with DPw2 and DPw4, while p2 can be recognized in association with DR1, DRw15(2), DRw18 (3), DR4Dw4, DRw11(5), DRw13(w6), DR7, DRw8, DR9, DRw52a and DRw52b. On the contrary, the third peptide, p4, can be recognized by only half of the donors in association with only DRw52a and DRw52c. Analysis of truncated peptides shows that p30 contains three distinct epitopes, each recognized in association with different class II molecules. Therefore, the restriction specificity is already set at the level of the peptide-MHC complex and, in all cases, T cells discriminate p30 bound to different class II molecules. On the contrary, p2 contains only one epitope, which is recognized in association with all DR molecules. In this case we found two different restriction patterns. Some clones are monogamous, since they recognize the peptide in association with one DR allele, while others are promiscuous, since they recognize by peptide in association with several different DR molecules. Thus, in this case, the restriction specificity is also set at the level of the T cell receptor. We suggest that both the promiscuous binding of peptides and the promiscuous recognition by T cells are dependent on the particular structure of the DR molecules, having a monomorphic alpha chain associated with a polymorphic beta chain.
756 citations
TL;DR: In this article, an epitope contained within amino acids 249-260 of the Plasmodium berghei circumsporozoite protein was identified by H-2Kd-restricted cytotoxic T cells.
Abstract: PROTECTIVE immunity against malaria is induced by vaccination of hosts with irradiation-attenuated sporozoites. This immunity is mediated in part by neutralizing antibodies that are directed mainly against the repeat domain of the circumsporozoite protein1–4. Early experiments showed, however, that B-cell-depleted mice that are immunized with sporozoites can resist challenge, indicating that T-cell effector mechanisms may also have a role in protection5. This idea was supported by the recent observation that protective immunity also requires T-cells expressing the CDS antigen (CD8+ T cells) 6,7, whose target is probably the developing liver-stage parasites8–10. Moreover, an oral Salmonella vaccine that expresses the circumsporozoite protein is able to protect against murine malaria in the absence of antibodies11. Here we report the identification of an epitope contained within amino acids 249–260 of the Plasmodium berghei circumsporozoite protein that is recognized by H–2Kd-restricted cytotoxic T cells12,13. Passive transfer into mice of cytotoxic-T-cell clones that recognize this epitope conferred a high degree of protection against challenge. These results provide the first direct evidence that CD8+ T cells that are specific for a defined epitope can confer protection against a parasitic infection.
508 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that a larger signature comprising this sequence is common to most of the known zinc‐dependent endopeptidases, and that the presence of the signature can be indicative of membership in the family.
438 citations
TL;DR: Functional studies with purified terminal complement components showed that CLI suppresses the cytolytic potential of nascent C5b-7 complexes at physiological blood plasma concentrations, suggesting that CLI protects sperm cells and epithelial tissues against complement attack in the male reproductive tract.
Abstract: A component of soluble terminal complement complexes was identified and affinity-purified to homogeneity by using a monoclonal antibody previously developed against the soluble C5b-9 complex. The protein, which we have designated complement cytolysis inhibitor (CLI), has a molecular mass of 70 kDa and consists of two nonidentical, disulfide-linked subunits of 35 kDa. Partial amino acid sequences determined for the amino-termini of the two subunits were identical with those of a recently characterized serum protein called SP-40,40. An almost full-length cDNA clone of 1651 base pairs was isolated from a human liver cDNA library by using long synthetic oligonucleotides as probes. The encoded amino acid sequence of CLI consists of 427 amino acid residues preceded by a 21-residue-long typical signal peptide and shows an overall 75.6% amino acid sequence homology to sulfated glycoprotein 2 (SGP-2), a major Sertoli cell-derived protein of rat testis fluid. As in SGP-2, proteolytic processing between residues 206 and 207 yields the two disulfide-linked subunits of plasma CLI. CLI and SGP-2 were shown to be orthologous single-copy genes in humans and rats by Southern blotting experiments. In addition, CLI was immunologically identified in human seminal plasma. Functional studies with purified terminal complement components showed that CLI suppresses the cytolytic potential of nascent C5b-7 complexes at physiological blood plasma concentrations (approximately 50 micrograms/ml). Its presence on the surface of mature sperm cells and its relative abundance in seminal plasma (approximately 250 micrograms/ml) suggest that CLI protects sperm cells and epithelial tissues against complement attack in the male reproductive tract.
393 citations
TL;DR: The data indicate that substantial imbalances between intake and oxidation are much more likely for fat than for carbohydrate.
356 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, carbon isotope profiles were studied in marine limestones of Late Permian and Early Triassic age of the Tethyan region from 20 sections in Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Armenian SSR, Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, and China.
Abstract: Profiles of carbon isotopes were studied in marine limestones of Late Permian and Early Triassic age of the Tethyan region from 20 sections in Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Armenian SSR, Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, and China. The Upper Permian sections continue the high positive values of δ13C previously found in Upper Permian basins in NW Europe and western USA. In the more complete sections of Tethys it can now be demonstrated that the values of δ13C drop from the Murgabian to the Dzhulfian Stages of the Upper Permian, then sharply to values near zero during the last two biozones of the Dorashamian. These levels of δ13C sample the Tethys Sea and the world ocean, and equal values from deep-water sediments at Salamis Greece indicate that they apply to the whole water column. We hypothesize that the high values of δ13C are a consequence of Late Paleozoic storage of organic carbon, and that the declines represent an episodic cessation of this organic deposition, and partial oxidation of the organic reservoir, extending over a period of several million years. The carbon isotope profile may reflect parallel complexity in the pattern of mass extinction in Late Permian time.
334 citations
Posted Content•
TL;DR: In this article, the authors extended earlier work by Feldstein and Horioka on the relation between domestic saving rates and international capital flows and showed that domestic saving has a substantial effect on the level of domestic investment although a smaller effect than would have been observed in the 1960s and 1970s.
Abstract: This paper extends earlier work by Feldstein and Horioka on the relation between domestic saving rates and international capital flows or, equivalently, between domestic saving rates and domestic investment. The basic conclusion of the present analysis is that an increase in domestic saving has a substantial effect on the level of domestic investment although a smaller effect than would have been observed in the 1960s and 1970s. The savings retention coefficient for the 1980-86 period is 0.79, down from 0.91 in the l960s and 0.86 in the 1970s.The more closely integrated economies of the EEC also appear to have more outward capital mobility (i.e., a lower saving retention coefficient) than other OECD countries. There is no support for the view that the estimated saving-investment relation reflects a spurious impact of an omitted economic growth variable. Although budget deficits are inversely related to the difference between private investment end private saving, we reject the view that this reflects an endogenous response of fiscal policy in favor to the alter-native interpretation that the negative relation is evidence of crowding out of private investment by budget deficits. This interpretation is supported by the evidence that domestic investment responds equally to private saving and to budget deficits.The implication of the analysis thus supports the original Feldstein-Horioka conclusion that increase in domestic saving does raise a nation's capital stock and therefore the productivity of its workforce. Similarly, a tax on capital income is not likely to be shifted fully to labor and land by the outflow of enough capital to maintain the real rate of return unchanged.
300 citations
TL;DR: The sexual dimorphism of the human corpus callosum (CC) has been investigated by using morphometric techniques specially designed to yield objective measurements of CC size and shape as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The sexual dimorphism of the human corpus callosum (CC) is currently controversial, possibly because of difficulties in morphometric analysis. We have reinvestigated the issue by using morphometric techniques specially designed to yield objective measurements of CC size and shape. The development of the CC was studied with similar techniques in order to investigate whether its final shape and size might be influenced by axonal elimination, as could be expected from previous animal studies.
We have measured the CCs of 32 men and 26 women; 27 male and 19 female CCs were from brain tissue, the others were from magnetic resonance imaging graphs. Women tended to have (1) a smaller cross-sectional callosal area (CCA); (2) a larger fraction of CCA in the posterior fifth of the CC; (3) more slender CCs; and (4) more bulbous splenia. These differences could not be detected by simple inspection but were demonstrated by measurement and statistical analysis. However, CCA was correlated with the other sexually dimorphic parameters, and the sex-related differences in the latter became nonsignificant when variations in CCA were factored out or when male and female populations with similar CCA were compared.
In addition, we analyzed CCs of 16 male and 16 female fetuses and of 13 male and 15 female infants and children. This sample ranged in age between 20 weeks of gestation and 14 years but covered in detail the period up to 14 months after birth. CCA increased throughout the latter period but decreased slightly between about 33 weeks of gestation and the beginning of the second postnatal mouth. This decrease coincided with thinning of the CC and a marked increase in bulbosity of the splenium. No sexual dimorphism could be demonstrated until the beginning of the postnatal period. In the age group between birth (at term) and the 14th month, CCA was, as in the adult, larger in males. Unlike in the adults, the CC was longer in males and the bulbosity index was the same in the two sexes. Axonal elimination may play a role in the perinatal pause in CCA growth and in the concomitant changes in callosal shape.
268 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, it was shown that the spectrum of the tight-binding Fibonacci Hamiltonian is a Cantor set of zero Lebesgue measure for all real nonzeroμ, and the spectral measures are purely singular continuous.
Abstract: It is rigorously proven that the spectrum of the tight-binding Fibonacci Hamiltonian,H
mn=δ
m, n+1+δ
m, n−1+δ
m, n
μ[(n+1)α]−[nα]) where α=(√5−1)/2 and [·] means integer part, is a Cantor set of zero Lebesgue measure for all real nonzeroμ, and the spectral measures are purely singular continuous. This follows from a recent result by Kotani, coupled with the vanishing of the Lyapunov exponent in the spectrum.
TL;DR: It is shown that the fully grown oocyte of Xenopus laevis synthesizes much less beta-sub unit than alpha-subunit, suggesting that association of the beta- Subunit to the alpha-Subunit provokes a structural rearrangement of thealpha- subunit that might be a first step toward the functional maturation of the Na+-K+-ATPase and its expression at the plasma membrane.
Abstract: In all cellular systems studied so far, the catalytic alpha- and the glycosylated beta-subunit of Na+-K+-ATPase are coordinately synthesized and are assembled into stoichiometric alpha, beta-complexes. In contrast to these data, in this study we show that the fully grown oocyte of Xenopus laevis synthesizes much less beta-subunit than alpha-subunit. The alpha-subunit produced in excess over the beta-subunit is membrane associated but highly trypsin sensitive and can be compared with the immature alpha-subunit population identified in epithelial cells immediately after synthesis (K. Geering, J. P. Kraehenbuhl, and B.C. Rossier, J. Cell Biol. 105: 2613-2619, 1987). The Xenopus oocyte thus turns out to be a unique system to study the functional role of the beta-subunit. Injection of beta-subunit-specific mRNA transcribed in vitro from a beta-cDNA clone (derived from Xenopus kidney, A6 cells) into oocytes results in translation of a glycosylated beta-subunit. The synthesis of this exogenous beta-subunit increases significantly the proportion of trypsin-resistant oocyte alpha-subunits able to perform cation-dependent conformational changes. In addition, 25-65% more ouabian binding sites are expressed at the plasma membrane in beta-mRNA-injected oocytes. In contrast, newly synthesized alpha-subunit translated after injection of size-fractionated mRNA enriched in alpha-mRNA remains trypsin sensitive as the oocyte alpha-subunit. These data suggest that association of the beta-subunit to the alpha-subunit provokes a structural rearrangement of the alpha-subunit that might be a first step toward the functional maturation of the Na+-K+-ATPase and its expression at the plasma membrane.
TL;DR: In patients with septic shock, PAI-1 appears to have a strong predictive value as to mortality, and this early marker may help the clinician in identifying a subgroup of patients particularly at risk.
Abstract: The prognostic value of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) in septic shock was investigated in 52 patients with septic shock. The patients had significantly elevated serum PAI-1 levels with respect to the control group (p = 0.002). In patients not having a rapidly fatal underlying disease, PAI-1 was significantly higher in patients dying within a week after onset of shock than in survivors (median PAI-1: 900 and 307 ng/ml, respectively; p = 0.001). The analysis of the distribution of PAI-1 levels permitted retrospectively to determine a threshold level of PAI-1 which had prognostic significance. Mortality was 71% in patients with serum PAI-1 above 550 ng/ml, whereas only two patients (6%) having a PAI-1 below 550 ng/ml died within a week. Thus, in patients with septic shock, PAI-1 appears to have a strong predictive value as to mortality. This early marker may help the clinician in identifying a subgroup of patients particularly at risk.
TL;DR: It is concluded that GAD-immunoreactivity in the barrel cortex swiftly reacts to modifications of neuronal activity evoked in the periphery, coincident with the regeneration of peripheral nerve fibres in the absence of their follicles.
Abstract: The whisker-to-barrel pathway of the adult mouse was used in a study on the effects of peripheral sensory deprivation on GAD-immunoreactivity in the somatosensory cortex. At varying periods of time after removal of a set of vibrissal follicles, mice were processed for immunohistochemistry using an antibody against GAD. In sections tangential to the cortical surface we observed, in the barrels whose follicles were removed, decreased immunoreactivity as early as three days after surgery. The decrease was due to a lesser numerical density of stained puncta and to less intense staining of those remaining. GAD-positive somata were also less intensely stained, whereas their number did not seem to be changed. The changes, apparent at 3 days after the surgery, were restricted to the barrels corresponding to the removed follicles and were maximal at 2–4 weeks. At longer survival times (until 7 months) the immunoreactivity returned to normal, coincident with the regeneration of peripheral nerve fibres in the absence of their follicles. We conclude that GAD-immunoreactivity in the barrel cortex swiftly reacts to modifications of neuronal activity evoked in the periphery.
TL;DR: It is suggested that the observed synergistic estrogen‐dependent transcription activation conferred by the pair of hormone‐responsive DNA elements of the vit B1 ERU is the result of cooperative binding of two estrogen receptor dimers to these two adjacent imperfect EREs.
Abstract: The Xenopus vitellogenin (vit) gene B1 estrogen-inducible enhancer is formed by two closely adjacent 13 bp imperfect palindromic estrogen-responsive elements (EREs), i.e. ERE-2 and ERE-1, having one and two base substitutions respectively, when compared to the perfect palindromic consensus ERE (GGTCANNNTGACC). Gene transfer experiments indicate that these degenerated elements, on their own, have a low or no regulatory capacity at all, but in vivo act together synergistically to confer high receptor- and hormone-dependent transcription activation to the heterologous HSV thymidine kinase promoter. Thus, the DNA region upstream of the vitB1 gene comprising these two imperfect EREs separated by 7 bp, was called the vitB1 estrogen-responsive unit (vitB1 ERU). Using in vitro protein-DNA interaction techniques, we demonstrate that estrogen receptor dimers bind cooperatively to the imperfect EREs of the vitB1 ERU. Binding of a first receptor dimer to the more conserved ERE-2 increases approximately 4- to 8-fold the binding affinity of the receptor to the adjacent less conserved ERE-1. Thus, we suggest that the observed synergistic estrogen-dependent transcription activation conferred by the pair of hormone-responsive DNA elements of the vit B1 ERU is the result of cooperative binding of two estrogen receptor dimers to these two adjacent imperfect EREs.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: A sixth T cell clone was shown to be specific for tetanus toxoid, the vaccinal preparation of tetanus toxins, and not for other tetanus toxin fragments, indicating that immunization with tetanos toxoid probably elicits a T cell response directed only in part against native tetanusoxin.
Abstract: We have characterized five human T cell clones specific for tetanus toxin. The combination of different techniques allowed us to precisely map two T cell epitopes within fragments 830-843 and 1273-1284 of tetanus toxin, as formally demonstrated by the use of corresponding synthetic peptides. The three other T cell clones were specific for regions 2-602, 604-742, and 865-1315 of tetanus toxin, respectively. The five T cell clones were shown to be restricted to HLA-DR Ag. Furthermore, the allele of HLA-DR utilized by the various epitopes has been determined. The use of HLA-DR-transfected L cells as APC directly demonstrated that two epitopes, one of which represented by fragment 1273-1284, were recognized in association with HLA-DRw52a. For the other three T cell epitopes, the data strongly suggested they were recognized in association with HLA-DR5. Finally, a sixth T cell clone was shown to be specific for tetanus toxoid, the vaccinal preparation of tetanus toxin, and not for other tetanus toxin fragments. This indicated that immunization with tetanus toxoid probably elicits a T cell response directed only in part against native tetanus toxin.
TL;DR: The first physics runs of the L3 detector at LEP were reported in this article, where the authors determined the mass m z 0 and the width Γ z 0 of the intermediate vector boson Z 0 to bem z 0 =91.132±0.057 GeV (not including the 46 MeV LEP machine energy uncertainty).
TL;DR: From a dichloromethane extract and a hydrolysed methanolic extract from the leaves of Psiadia trinervia, 13 3-methylated flavonols have been isolated as discussed by the authors.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide an empirical description of business cycles in Switzerland and a comparison with business cycle in other countries, including the United States, France, Germany and the U.K. In order to identify the appropriate cyclical series, they follow a procedure proposed by Hodrick and Prescott (1980).
TL;DR: In this paper, non-rational but unirational variety of Grothendieck invariants and Brauer invariants for rationality were discussed. Reference CMA-ARTICLE-1989-001
Abstract: Keywords: non-rational but unirational variety ; Grothendieck invariants ; rationality ; Brauer invariants Reference CMA-ARTICLE-1989-001doi:10.1007/BF01850658 Record created on 2008-12-16, modified on 2016-08-08
TL;DR: In this article, the problem of phase dispersion in the resultant magnetization for pulses used for high-resoln. NMR work by demonstrating how a Gaussian pulse having an on-resonance flip angle of 270 degrees has much improved phase properties over the conventional 90 degrees Gaussian pulses was presented.
TL;DR: That natural self-healing infection leads to the development of immunity to reinfection strongly suggests that control of leishmaniasis by prophylactic immunizaton is possible.
Abstract: Leishmaniases are infectious diseases 9f protozoan origin that represent an increasing public health problem worldwide (1). There are indications that these diseases also affect an increasing number of immuno compromised patients in some areas of developed countries (2). The organisms responsible for these diseases are trypanosoma tid protozoans of the genus Leishmania. The parasites are transmitted to their mammalian hosts by the bite of an infected phlebotomine sandfly. The life cycle of all species of Leishmania includes two developmentally and morphologically distinct forms: (a) the extracellular, flagellated promastigotes which col onize the digestive tract of the insect vector, and (b) the sessile amastigotes which are found exclusively as obligate intracellular parasites within cells of the mammalian reticuloendothelial system (3). Infection of humans with Leishmania results in a broad spectrum of disease profiles whose features depend upon the characteristics of the different Leishmania species and the efficiency of the host's immunological response to the parasite (4). That natural self-healing infection leads to the development of immunity to reinfection strongly suggests that control of leishmaniasis by prophylactic immunizaton is possible. Since the entire spectrum of clinical manifestations seen in humans
TL;DR: The response properties to clicks, noise and tone bursts of 2152 single units located in the ventral division of the medial geniculate body were analysed as a function of their anatomical position and a gradient of functional properties is described.
TL;DR: None of the several investigated characteristics appeared to be a strong determinant, i.e. relative risk, RR greater than 2.0, of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the present investigation.
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that phosphorylcholine acts as a specific, Ca2+-dependent receptor molecule for perforin, and shows ultrastructural, immunological and ammo-acid sequence similarities to complement component C96–8.
Abstract: Large granular lymphocytes and cytolytic T-lymphocytes (CTL) contain numerous cytoplasmic granules thought to be responsible, at least in part, for the cytolytic activity of these effector cells. Isolated granules are lytic for a variety of target cells and the granule proteins are specifically released upon target-cell interaction. Major proteins in mouse CTL granules are a family of seven serine proteases designated granzymes A to G, and a pore-forming protein called perforin (cytolysin). Purified perforin is cytolytic in the presence of Ca2+ and shows ultrastructural, immunological and amino-acid sequence similarities to complement component C9. Despite these similarities, perforin and C9 are clearly distinct in their mode of target-cell recognition. Whereas C9 insertion is absolutely dependent on a receptor moiety assembled from the complement proteins C5b, C6, C7, and C8 on the target-cell membrane, no requirement for a receptor molecule has been reported for perforin. Here, we demonstrate that phosphorylcholine acts as a specific, Ca2+-dependent receptor molecule for perforin.
TL;DR: In this article, the water-exchange rate on the heavy lanthanide ion series from Tb{sup 3+} to Tm{sup 17}O NMR at 268 K has been determined up to 250 MPa by {sup 17, O NMR.
Abstract: The water-exchange rate on the heavy lanthanide ion series from Tb{sup 3+} to Tm{sup 3+} has been determined up to 250 MPa by {sup 17}O NMR at 268 K. The calculated activation volumes for the exchange process are -5.7 {plus minus} 0.5 cm{sup 3} mol{sup {minus}1} for Tb{sup 3+}, -6.0 {plus minus} 0.4 cm{sup 3} mol{sup {minus}1} for Dy{sup 3+}, -6.6 {plus minus} 0.4 cm{sup 3} mol{sup {minus}1} for Ho{sup 3+}, -6.9 {plus minus} 0.4 cm{sup 3} mol{sup {minus}1} for Er{sup 3+}, and -6.0 {plus minus} 0.8 cm{sup 3} mol{sup {minus}1} for Tm{sup 3+} and are representative of a similar interchange associative mechanism for these five ions. A discussion of the kinetic results obtained for the water and DMF exchanges on the lanthanide ions outlines the importance of the steric crowding in these ion solvates. The previously published kinetic results concerning the lanthanide complex formation in aqueous solution are discussed in light of these new mechanistic results reported here for the heavy members of the lanthanide series. 39 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.
TL;DR: Although the association with disease risk and coffee consumption, alcohol consumption, occupational exposures, diabetes, pancreatitis, and other factors requires clarification, it appears likely that the most fruitful research area in the coming years may involve exploration of pancreatic cancer risk and nutritional practices.
Abstract: This article reviews the epidemiology of cancer of the pancreas, both descriptive and analytical, at all times cognizant of the problems of misdiagnosis, particularly underdiagnosis, of this lethal disease that continue to hinder epidemiological studies. Pancreas cancer is consistently reported to occur more frequently in men than in women, in blacks than in whites, and in urban rather than rural population groups. In some countries, the mortality rates continue to rise, whereas in others, declining levels of disease can be seen among members of younger birth cohorts. Although some of these patterns can be explained by variation in pancreas cancer risk factors, many cannot. Analytical studies consistently demonstrate that cigarette smoking increases the risk of cancer of the pancreas, and this appears, at the present time, to be the only clearly demonstrated risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Although the association with disease risk and coffee consumption, alcohol consumption, occupational exposures, diabetes, pancreatitis, and other factors requires clarification, it appears likely that the most fruitful research area in the coming years may involve exploration of pancreatic cancer risk and nutritional practices.
TL;DR: In this paper, the phase dispersion in NMR was removed by refocusing the magnetization to form an echo, which was then used to obtain the chirped spectra of a mixture of CHCl3, CH2Cl2, acetone, cyclohexane, and dioxane.
TL;DR: Prognostic variables in 251 ‘curative’ specimens of colonic cancer were studied and the model differs from that developed previously for rectal cancer and is superior to the Dukes classification.
Abstract: Prognostic variables in 251 'curative' specimens of colonic cancer were studied. Subjective variables--tumour type, grade of differentiation, character of invasive margin and lymphocytic infiltration--were associated with fair to excellent levels of inter-observer agreement. Variables found to be of prognostic significance by univariate analysis were subjected to Cox regression analysis. This was undertaken for all three observers and for a consensus grading. No case in which direct spread in continuity was limited to the bowel wall was associated with a cancer-related death; 63 such specimens were removed as a group with an excellent prognosis and did not require further stratification. In the remaining 188 cases, all showing extramural spread, only lymph node invasion, character of invasive margin and tumour type were independent prognostic variables. The model differs from that developed previously for rectal cancer and is superior to the Dukes classification.
TL;DR: It is reported that increased sensory stimulation, during four days, of a number of whisker follicles on the face of theAdult mouse results in an increased immunoreactivity of glutamic acid decarboxylase in the somatosensory cortex of the adult mouse.
Abstract: Sensory experience during perinatal life and adulthood modifies physiological and anatomical characteristics of the central nervous system. So far, this phenomenon has been studied in situations of complete or partial sensory deprivation. We here report that increased sensory stimulation, during four days, of a number of whisker follicles on the face of the adult mouse results in an increased immunoreactivity of glutamic acid decarboxylase (the biosynthetic enzyme of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA) in the somatosensory cortex of the adult mouse. Effects were limited to a column of tissue corresponding to the representation of the stimulated follicles and lasted two days beyond stimulation. These findings suggest that sensory stimulation transiently modifies local cortical processing.