[Treatment of 63 advanced ovarian carcinomas]

62 patients with advanced epithelial ovarian adenocarcinoma (37 stage III, 4 stage IV and 22 recurrent lesions) were treated in our hospital from 1977 to 1981, 38 patients underwent surgery. 25 with inoperable tumor initially received preoperative chemotherapy (VCF protocol: vincristine + cyclophosphamide + fluorouracil chiefly) followed by surgery. The response rate of chemotherapy was 48%. Apart from 1 progressive tumor during chemotherapy, 24/25 were explored. There were 10/24 with residual tumor less than 2 cm in diameter, giving a resection rate of 41.7% as compared with the resection rate of 42.1% (16/38) in the operation group. It is shown that the preoperative chemotherapy improves the resection rate. 44 patients received postoperative chemotherapy and 12, radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy or radiotherapy only. The overall 2.3 and 5 year survival rates of these 63 patients were 39.7%, 31.7% and 23.8%. The 2 and 3 year survivals were 41.9% and 32.3% in 31 patients with postoperative chemotherapy using VCF protocol. The results indicate that VCF protocol is effective for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer, especially patients with residual tumor less than 2 cm in size. Chemotherapy with more than 3 courses has better effect.

Stability properties of oxymyoglobin from chicken gizzard smooth muscle

1. Oxymyoglobin (MbO2) was isolated directly from the smooth muscle of chicken gizzard and was examined for its spectral and stability properties. 2. When compared with sperm whale MbO2 as a reference, chicken gizzard MbO2 was found to be much more susceptible to autoxidation. Its pH-dependence was therefore analyzed in terms of an "acid-catalyzed three-state model". 3. The complete amino acid sequence of the myoglobin was also determined. Its hydropathy profile revealed that the region corresponding to the distal side of the heme iron appears to be less hydrophobic.

Cytogenetic monitoring of petrochemical workers

The frequencies of chromosomal aberrations and sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of 360 persons, 180 workers in a petrochemical corporation and 180 appropriate controls, were studied. A significant increase in chromosomal aberrations and SCEs, compared to the control group, was observed in two sewage-treatment workshop workers; however, there were no significant differences between petrochemical workers from four workshops and a control group.

Cilia and ciliogenesis in endometrial adenocarcinomas. An ultrastructural analysis

Cilia in neoplastic cells were observed by electron microscopy in specimens from five of six consecutive patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma. Most cilia showed a range of defects, from misalignment and displacement of individual doublets to the absence of up to three peripheral doublets, the pattern varying from 9+2 to 6+2; the central pair of microtubules also was frequently missing. Single peripheral microtubules and displacement of the dynein arms were also observed. The high proportion of cilial defects in neoplastic cells (72%) compared with those in normal endometrium (26%), together with a broader spectrum of cilial abnormalities, suggests that the neoplastic state increases the number and range of cilial lesions.

Hemoglobinopathies in Xinjiang

The present report summarizes the results of a search for hemoglobinopathies in 142,171 persons in Xinjiang, the results of structural analyses of abnormal hemoglobins in 134 families, and the incidence and distribution of abnormal hemoglobins and the thalassemias in eight ethnic groups or nationalities.

A geriatric special-care unit: experience in a university hospital

Responding to a perceived need for specialized care for the acutely ill elderly, a 14-bed geriatric special-care unit was established in the University of Massachusetts Hospital in January 1980. Patients were selected for admission after assessment of their potential to benefit from restorative care. Most patients were admitted from the emergency room or outpatient clinics or were scheduled admissions; a few were in-hospital transfers. This report deals with a retrospective analysis of the first 514 admissions (431 patients) to the unit. Admissions by major service were: Medicine, 64 per cent; Surgery, 14 per cent; Neurology, 10 per cent; Orthopedics, 7 per cent; and other, 5 per cent. Approximately 64 per cent of patients were between the ages of 70 and 84. The overall average length of stay per admission was 11.5 days. Mortality rate of patients undergoing surgery (n = 125) was 4 per cent. The percentage of admissions that were discharged home was 78.7 per cent. Only 7.3 per cent of admissions were discharged to a nursing home, when those that were admitted to the unit from a nursing home are excluded. The authors conclude that a special nursing unit for acutely ill elderly patients may serve several purposes in a university hospital: overall patient care may be improved; length of hospital stay may be shortened; and medical students, housestaff, and attending physicians may gain an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of geriatric medicine as demonstrated by the staff of the unit.

Electron microscopy of DNA molecules from blastoderm nuclei and yolk granules beneath blastoderm of fertilized and unincubated chicken eggs

The DNA molecules isolated from the blastoderm nuclei and yolk granules beneath the blastoderm of fertilized and unincubated chicken eggs were observed under electron microscope, using the DNA sample of calf thymus as control. The results showed that both nuclear and yolk DNAs are linear, and their molecules are very similar to those of thymus DNA in shape. Since chromatin was first prepared from blastoderm nuclei and yolk granules respectively and then DNA was isolated from both of chromatin samples, it could be concluded that yolk granules possess both DNA chromatin as nuclei do.

Chromatin and DNA of yolk granules beneath "blastoderm region" of unfertilized chicken egg

Electron microscopic study shows that the chromatin structure of yolk granules beneath the "blastoderm region" of the unfertilized chicken egg is identical to that of yolk granules beneath the blastoderm of the fertilized and unincubated chicken egg, and both chromatin structures are very similar to those of blastoderm nuclei. Furthermore the molecular shapes of DNA of both yolk granules are also very similar to those of the blastoderm nuclei, being all linear. Based on these observations, we have come to the conclusion that chromatin and DNA widely exist in the yolk when yolk granules have reached their development-specified competence. The results indicate further that the yolk granules are capable of synthesizing DNA, and provide the condition for the interaction of DNA with histones to form chromatin through self-organization.

Electron microscopic studies on the chromatin of blastoderm nuclei and yolk granules beneath blastoderm of fertilized and unincubated chicken eggs

Chromatin prepared both from the yolk granules beneath the blastoderm and from the nuclei of the blastoderm cells of fertilized and unincubated chicken eggs was examined under electron microscope and its structure was compared. The results indicate that the above two kinds of chromatin fibers seem to have no apparent difference in structural relation and diameter. The electron microscopic appearances of the basic structures of both kinds of chromatin are all "beads-on-a-string"-shaped filaments. After the digestion of chromatin from both raw materials with DNase I, the connecting strings of chromatin fibers were cut off, only the scattered beads could be observed under electron microscope. The diameter of the scattered beads is equal to that of the beads on the chromatin fibers, and most of them are 150 A in diameter.