bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in kinetics of cerebral auto‐regulation with head‐down bed rest
Authors: Traon Anne Pavy‐Le , Costes‐Salon Marie‐Claude , Vasseur‐Clausen Pascale , Bareille Marie‐Pierre , Maillet Alain , Parant Marc
Published: March 2003

Thoraco‐cephalic fluid shift induced by weightlessness may influence cerebral autoregulation. Our objective was to assess effects of simulated weightlessness by a 7‐day head‐down bed rest (HDBR) on the kinetics of cerebral blood flow (CBF) autoregulation in eight healthy women (27·9 ± 0·9 years). This was studied by transcranial Doppler (TCD) of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) during the sudden decrease in blood pressure (BP) induced by quickly deflating thigh cuff after a 4‐min arterial occlusion before (D – 3), during (D2, D5) and after the HDBR (D + 1). BP (Finapres) and MCA maximal blood flow velocity were continuously recorded. Cerebrovascular resistance (CR) was expressed as the ratio of mean BP to mean MCA velocity. The CR slope was defined as changes in CR per second during the BP decrease. The magnitude of the relative decrease in mean BP and MCA velocity as well as the CR slope did not differ significantly before, during and after the HDBR, showing no major impairment of cerebral autoregulation during short‐term HDBR. The time to maximum decrease in CR (T1 in s), corresponding to the maximum vasodilation was reduced on D2 (7·2 ± 0·6) versus D – 3 (9·9 ± 1·3), D5 (9·6 ± 0·8) and R + 1 (11·7 ± 1·1) probably as a result of the fluid shift. We also looked if the responses during the thigh cuff release differed in women according to their tolerance to the 10 min stand test performed after the HDBR: T1 was larger in the five women who presented orthostatic intolerance suggesting that some differences in cerebral autoregulatory responses may be related to orthostatic intolerance.
Effect of a vibration exposure on muscular performance and body balance. Randomized cross‐over study
Authors: Torvinen Saila , Kannus Pekka , Sievänen Harri , Järvinen Tero A.H. , Pasanen Matti , Kontulainen Saija , Järvinen Teppo L.N. , Järvinen Markku , Oja Pekka , Vuori Ilkka
Published: March 2003

This randomized cross‐over study was designed to investigate the effects of a 4‐min vibration bout on muscle performance and body balance in young, healthy subjects. Sixteen volunteers (eight men, eight women, age 24–33 years) underwent both the 4‐min vibration‐ and sham‐interventions in a randomized order on different days. Six performance tests (stability platform, grip strength, isometric extension strength of lower extremities, tandem‐walk, vertical jump and shuttle run) were performed 10 min before (baseline), and 2 and 60 min after the intervention. The effect of vibration on the surface electromyography (EMG) of soleus, gastrocnemius and vastus lateralis muscles was also investigated. The vibration‐loading, based on a tilting platform, induced a transient (significant at the 2‐min test) 2·5% net benefit in the jump height (P=0·019), 3·2% benefit in the isometric extension strength of lower extremities (P=0·020) and 15·7% improvement in the body balance (P=0·049). In the other 2‐min or in the 60‐min tests, there were no statistically significant differences between the vibration‐ and sham‐interventions. Decreased mean power frequency in EMG of all muscles during the vibration indicated evolving muscle fatigue, while the root mean square voltage of EMG signal increased in calf muscles. We have shown in this study that a single bout of whole body vibration transiently improves muscle performance of lower extremities and body balance in young healthy adults.
Effects of in vitro exposure of alcohol on surface receptor expression of human platelets
Authors: McKenzie Marcus E. , Bell Christopher R. , Horowitz Eric D. , Oshrine Benjamin R. , Atar Dan , Serebruany Victor L.
Published: March 2003

Platelet inhibition after moderate alcohol consumption in patients with ischaemic heart disease may contribute to reducing the risk for developing acute coronary syndromes. However, the mechanism by which ethanol affects platelets is not clarified. We sought to determine the in vitro effects of alcohol on the surface expression of human platelet receptors using whole blood flow cytometry. Blood samples from 10 healthy volunteers were incubated for 30 min with 25 and 50 mmol l–1 of phosphate buffered saline diluted grain ethanol, concentrations often used in in vitro studies. The surface expression of platelet receptors was determined by flow cytometry after fixation with 2% paraformaldehyde using the following monoclonal antibodies: CD 41 (GP IIb/IIIa), CD 42b (GP Ib), CD 62p (P‐selectin), CD 51/CD 61 (vitronectin receptor), CD 31 (PECAM‐1), CD 107a (LAMP‐1), CD 107b (LAMP‐2), CD 63 (LIMP, LAMP‐3) and CD 151 (PETA‐3). Dose‐dependent inhibition of GP IIb/IIIa, P‐selectin, CD 63 and CD 107a receptor expression was observed in the ethanol‐treated whole blood samples. This study for the first time establishes a direct effect of ethanol on selective major platelet receptors. Beneficial cardiovascular properties of moderate alcohol consumption may be explained by ethanol's antiplatelet action.
A comparative study of three variations of the learning vector quantizer in the discrimination of benign from malignant gastric cells
Authors: Karakitsos P. , Ioakim‐Liossi A. , Pouliakis A. , Botsoli‐Stergiou E. M. , Tzivras M. , Archimandritis A. , Kyrkou K.
Published: March 2003

KARAKITSOS P., IOAKIM LIOSSI A., POULIAKIS A., BOTSOLI‐STERGIOU E. M., TZIVRAS M., ARCHIMANDRITIS A. AND KYRKOU K. (1998)Cytopathology9,114–125

A comparative study of three variations of the learning vector quantizer in the discrimination of benign from malignant gastric cells

A prospective study was undertaken to investigate the potential value of morphometry and artificial neural networks (ANN) for the discrimination of benign and malignant gastric lesions. Two thousand five hundred cells from 23 cases of cancer, 19 cases of gastritis and 58 cases of ulcer were selected as a training set, and an additional 8524 cells from an equal number of cases of cancer, gastritis and ulcer were used as a test set. Images of routine processed gastric smears stained by the Papanicolaou technique were processed by a custom image analysis system. The application of the learning vector quantization (LVQ) classifier enabled correct classification of > 97% of benign cells and > 95% of malignant cells, obtaining an overall accuracy of > 97%. This study presents the capabilities of ANN, and also indicates that ANN and image morphometry may offer useful information on the potential of malignancy in gastric cells.
Fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology in the diagnosis of recurrent soft tissue sarcoma
Authors: TROVIK C. S. , BAUER H. C. F. , BROSJÖ O. , SKOOG L. , SÖDERLUND V.
Published: March 2003

trovik c. s., bauer h. c. f., brosjö o., skoog l. and söderlund v. (1998) Cytopathology9, 320–328

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology in the diagnosis of recurrent soft tissue sarcoma

We have used FNA cytology to diagnose suspected local recurrences of soft tissue sarcoma. Since 1991, a total of 95 FNA cytologies were performed on 86 patients. There were 47 local recurrences, of which 44 were diagnosed correctly by FNA cytology; one biopsy was inconclusive, and two lesions were incorrectly assessed as benign. Thirty‐nine patients proved to have benign lesions in the scar area examined cytologically on 50 occasions. None of the specimens was regarded as malignant, but in four cases FNA cytology was inconclusive. Overall, there were 5% inconclusive cytological biopsies, 0% falsely malignant and 5% falsely benign. The inconclusive and false‐negative cytological diagnoses had no important clinical consequences. FNA biopsy provides a simple means of diagnosing local recurrence of soft tissue sarcoma.
The use of the PAPNET automated cytological screening system for the diagnosis of oral squamous carcinoma
Authors: LEVINE  , NJEMENZE  , COWPE†  , COLEMAN
Published: March 2003

levine t. s., njemenze v., cowpe j. g. and coleman d. v. (1998) Cytopathology9, 398–405

The use of the PAPNET automated cytological screening system for the diagnosis of oral squamous carcinoma

The automated PAPNET screening system has been developed to recognize abnormal cells in cervical smears. Given that the oral mucosa sheds cells resembling superficial and intermediate cells of the cervix, the aim of this study was to assess whether the PAPNET system could be used to detect dysplastic cells in oral mucosal smears. Sixty‐two oral smears from 27 patients were examined by both light microscopy and using the PAPNET system from clinically abnormal and normal areas by two pathologists. The clinically abnormal sites were also biopsied for histological analysis. There was 100% correlation between the manual and PAPNET screening results. Cytological interpretation of oral smears by both manual and PAPNET screening methods correctly diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma in 14/23 (61%) of patients who had all been confirmed by biopsy. The nine patients with false‐negative cases could be attributed to poor smear technique and preparation. The PAPNET system can be used to identify abnormal cells in oral smears and, as such, may have an application for screening those populations at high risk of oral cancer—provided that adequate tuition is given in smear technique.
The sensitivity of rapid (partial) review of cervical smears
Authors: Shield P. W. , Cox N. C.
Published: March 2003

SHIELD P. W. AND COX N. C. (1998) Cytopathology9, 84–92

The sensitivity of rapid (partial) review of cervical smears

Rapid review involves a daily rapid (e.g. 30 s) review of all smears not normally double‐screened. It has been suggested that the method may increase the sensitivity of cervical cytology by identifying abnormalities not reported on initial screening, true false negatives (TFN). Rapid screening is reported to have high sensitivity for cervical neoplasia when used as a preview tool. To be effective, however, in a review mode it must be able to detect TFN. Several studies have found that many TFN result from factors such as low numbers of abnormal cells or subtle expression of diagnostic criteria. Studies on the sensitivity of rapid screening for detecting TFN would therefore provide a more reliable estimate of its value as a review tool. The sensitivity of rapid re‐screening was evaluated using a test set of 200 cases. Each of 15 screeners rapidly reviewed (30 s partial screen) the set over a 2‐week period. The set consisted of 129 normal, 28 low‐grade squamous lesions (CIN I), 37 high‐grade lesions (CIN II, III and adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS)) and six invasive carcinomas. The abnormals included 20 TFN cases. The median sensitivity for abnormalities was 62%. Rapid review was more sensitive for CIN II and CIN III (67%) and invasive carcinoma (66.7%) than for CIN I (53%). Great variation was apparent in the sensitivity for individual screeners, with a range of 41–86% for all abnormalities. The sensitivity for TFN cases varied even more (10–75%, median 35%) and for most screeners was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than for cases which were detected on initial screen (53–90%, median 70.6%). Following this trial rapid review was used routinely for a period of 3 months. In this time 11 413 cases were rapidly reviewed. This led to the full review of 415 slides (3.5%) and the identification of 16 cases of undetected CIN (12 CIN I, three CIN II, one CIN III). Based on current estimates of our laboratory false‐negative rate this represents between a quarter and half of the TFN cases of CIN that probably occurred in this period. In conclusion, rapid screening is likely to be significantly less sensitive when used in a review rather than a preview mode. In routine practice the method requires a daily commitment of screener time, but does provide a higher yield of TFN smears than does random review, and allows amendment of these results prior to reporting.
Fine needle aspiration (FNA) in HIV+ patients: results from a series of 655 aspirates
Authors: Ellison E. , Lapuerta P. , Martin S. E.
Published: March 2003

ellison e., lapuerta p. and martin s. e. (1998) Cytopathology9, 222–229

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) in HIV+ patients: results from a series of 655 aspirates

There are many selected small series or case reports of FNAs in patients with HIV infection, but large series are rare and the epidemic's characteristics have evolved over time. The current study, from a large public hospital in the USA, included women as well as men, hetero‐ and homosexuals, in‐patients and out‐patients, and deep radiologically guided aspirates as well as superficial masses. Of 655 FNAs, reactive or benign changes were present in 37%, confirmed or suspected malignancy in 13%, speciwc infection with stainable organisms in 14%, and inflammation in 16%. Twenty percent of cases were inadequate for diagnosis. Most of the identiwable infections were associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with fewer atypical mycobacteria, fungi and other bacteria. Clinically signiwcant diagnoses were correlated with deep aspirate location and lesion size > 2 cm, conwrming other studies which also identiwed tenderness and recent enlargement as important indicators. The liberal use of FNA in our HIV+ population has greatly reduced the necessity for surgical nodal resection, reassured clinicians in continuing observation of reactive lymphadenopathy, and allowed immediate therapy for speciwc infection, cyst or malignancy.
Malignant pilomatrixoma: a case report with fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology
Authors: Deolekar M. V. , Brown D. C. , Desai S. A.
Published: March 2003

Introduction
Nuclear grooves in intermediate cells in cervical smears
Authors: Gupta S. , Sodhani P.
Published: March 2003

Nuclear grooves in intermediate cells in cervical smears

One thousand cervical smears from women who took part in a hospital‐based screening programme for early detection of cervical cancer were studied for the presence of nuclear grooves. Grooved nuclei were frequently detected in intermediate cells in all phases of the menstrual cycle, although their frequency of occurrence was slightly lower in the luteal and premenstrual phases. The mean number of nuclear grooves varied from 3.6 to 4.2 in different phases of the menstrual cycle. The differences, however, were not statistically significant. The presence of nuclear grooves in cervical cells appears to be a non‐specific finding at present.
A morphometric analysis of cytological features of tall cell variant and classical papillary carcinoma of the thyroid
Authors: Dina R. , Capitanio A. , Damiani S.
Published: March 2003

A morphometric analysis of cytological features of tall cell variant and classical papillary carcinoma of the thyroid

In order to assess whether morphometric parameters could be of value in distinguishing between tall cell variant and classical pattern of thyroid papillary carcinoma, the fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) samples of 14 cases were analysed using Arcimage 5 software on an Acorn computer. Histological examination of the specimens allowed classification of nine of them as classical pattern and the remaining five as tall cell variants. The nuclear diameter (NDD) and standard deviation distribution (NDSDD), the nuclear area (NAD) and standard deviation distribution (NASDD), and the nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio (NCR) were assessed on May‐Grunwald‐Giemsa stained smears. Statistical analysis was performed by use of one‐way analysis of variance (anova) of the two groups as identified by histology. Whilst NDD (P= 0.007), NAD (P= 0.015) and NADSD (P= 0.026) all appeared statistically significant, NDSDD (P= 0.06) and NCR (P= 0.71) were not. The cytological diagnosis of papillary carcinoma is established and reproducible, but morphometric data on the thyroid have so far focused on the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant nodules. The choice of simple morphometric parameters appears to be helpful in the preoperative distinction between the classical pattern and tall cell variant of papillary carcinoma.
Liquid‐based cytology for cervical screening
Authors: Payne N. , Chilcott J. , McGoogan E.
Published: March 2003

England and Wales' new National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has completed the first of its appraisals and issued guidance on a diagnostic technique rather than a therapeutic intervention.1 It was directed to examine the use of liquid‐based cytology (LBC) for cervical screening and took evidence from a wide variety of sources. LBC is a new method of preparing cervical samples for cytological examination. Unlike the conventional ‘smear’ preparation it involves making a suspension of cells from the sample and this is used to produce a thin layer of cells on a slide.
Adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix compared with squamous cell carcinoma: a 12‐year study in Southampton and South‐west Hampshire
Authors: Herbert A. , Singh N. , Smith J. A. E.
Published: March 2003

Adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix compared with squamous cell carcinoma: a 12‐year study in Southampton and South‐west Hampshire

In a 12‐year study of the population of Southampton and South‐west Hampshire (SSWH), there was no rise or fall in the incidence of adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix, although the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma fell from 14 to 7.2 per 100 000 women years and the overall fall in age‐adjusted incidence of cervical carcinoma was commensurate with that of England and Wales. The majority (59%) of adenocarcinomas were seen in women aged less than 50, supporting the concept of a higher risk in young women. Screen‐detected carcinomas accounted for 50% of adenocarcinomas and 41% of squamous cell carcinomas in women aged 20–64 (the difference was not significant). There were more screen‐detected adenocarcinomas of less than 3 mm depth of invasion and 7 mm lateral extension during the third period of the study (1991–1993). The results are consistent with reports of an increased risk of cervical cancer in women born since 1940, and lesser effectiveness of screening in preventing adenocarcinoma compared with squamous cell carcinoma. High prevalence of early screen‐detected carcinomas may have been a factor in recent reports of increased incidence of adenocarcinoma.
Performance of cytology and colposcopy in diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in HIV‐positive and HIV‐negative women
Authors: Branca M. , Rossi E. , Alderisio M. , Migliore G. , Morosini P. L. , Vecchione A. , Sopracordevole F. , Mudu P. , Leoncini L. , Syrjänen K.
Published: March 2003

Performance of cytology and colposcopy in diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in HIV‐positive and HIV‐negative women

As part of an extensive multi‐institutional DIANAIDS‐HIV‐HPV‐SIL project run in Italy (co‐ordinated by ISS), the present study compares the performance (sensitivity, specificity, agreement) of routine cervical smear cytology with that of colposcopy in the detection of histologically‐confirmed CIN lesions in 37 HIV‐positive and 21 HIV‐negative women, belonging to the DIANAIDS cohort of 459 women. All women were subjected to a cervical smear, colposcopy and biopsy, making possible the pairwise comparison of these techniques. In the whole series of HIV‐positive and HIV‐negative women, cytology had a sensitivity of 86.9% and specificity of 83.3%, the sensitivity of grade 2 abnormality on colposcopy against histology being 82.6% and specificity, 33.3%. No statistically significant difference was observed in the performance of Pap smears between the HIV‐positive and HIV‐negative women. The sensitivity of cytology was 89.7% vs 82.4% and the specificity, 75% vs 100%. For colposcopy, the sensitivity was 79.3% vs 88.2% and the specificity, 75% vs 50%. These data suggest that cervical Pap smear cytology is a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tool in the clinical monitoring of lower genital tract pathology in HIV‐positive women. Colposcopy, on the other hand, proved to be a somewhat less accurate diagnostic tool in these women.
Cellular characteristics of nipple aspiration fluid during the menstrual cycle in healthy premenopausal women
Authors: Mitchell G. , Trott P. A. , Morris L. , Coleman N. , Sauter E. , Eeles R. A.
Published: March 2003

Cellular characteristics of nipple aspiration fluid during the menstrual cycle in healthy premenopausal women

Fifteen healthy premenopausal female volunteers underwent weekly nipple aspiration of ductal fluid from both breasts during two menstrual cycles to investigate the variability of the cellular profile of the ductal fluid. Ductal fluid was successfully obtained using breast massage and nipple‐areolar suction from 247/280 (89%) breasts. 83% of samples available for cytological analysis were cellular and 30% of cellular aspirates contained ductal epithelial cells identified using standard morphological criteria. No significant variation in cell number or cell type was identified during the menstrual cycle. All samples tested had an ‘H’ score of zero for oestrogen receptor. Seven out of 14 women expressed the proliferation marker Mcm‐2 in the cells of at least one of the specimens, with no evidence of a menstrual cycle influence on expression. In conclusion, the cellular profile of breast ductal fluid did not vary consistently during the menstrual cycle, permitting future breast cancer screening studies incorporating serial nipple aspirations to be performed independent of the phase of the cycle.
An audit of ‘equivocal’ (C3) and ‘suspicious’ (C4) categories in fine needle aspiration cytology of the breast
Authors: Deb R. A. , Matthews P. , Elston C. W. , Ellis I. O. , Pinder S. E.
Published: March 2003

An audit of ‘equivocal’ (C3) and ‘suspicious’ (C4) categories in fine needle aspiration cytology of the breast

We have audited the frequency of use and outcome of the ‘equivocal/atypia probably benign’ (C3) and ‘suspicious of malignancy’ (C4) category for breast cytology in our Unit. A total of 14 935 cytological specimens were reported by at least one of the three pathologists with a special interest in breast pathology, according to five categories of the NHSBSP guidelines for cytology reporting, 1992; 3.7% (555 cases) and 3.9% (587 cases) of cases were classified as equivocal (C3) and suspicious (C4), respectively, giving a total rate (C3 + C4) of 7.6%. Of the C3 cases, 68% were subsequently benign and 32% were malignant. Of the C4 cases, 19% were subsequently benign and 81% malignant. The commonest benign lesions in both categories were fibroadenomas (7.6% of C3 and 19.8% of C4), fibrocystic change (14.3% of C3 and 12.5% of C4), radial scars (6.2% of C3 and 10.4% of C4) and papillomas (6.2% of C3 and 6.3% of C4). Of the malignant lesions (particularly those classified as C3), a high proportion were low grade or special type cancers. The categories of atypia probably benign (C3) and suspicious of malignancy (C4) in breast cytology provide a strategy for classification of problematic or uncertain cases; this maintains the predictive value of the benign (C2) and malignant (C5) categories, and allows separation of these difficult cases into clinically useful groups with differing probabilities of malignancy.
Rapid screening: a comparative study
Authors: Dudding N. , Hewer E. M. , Lancucki L. , Rice S.
Published: March 2003

Rapid screening: a comparative study

Although rapid screening of negative and inadequate cervical smears is a quality assurance requirement for all UK laboratories, there has been little attempt to standardize the method and laboratories make use of a number of different techniques and times. The aim of this study was to assess the sensitivity of these various techniques by measuring their ability to pick out known false‐negative smears. Completed questionnaires from 123 laboratories across England revealed that 52% of laboratories use a ‘step’ technique, 19% use ‘turret’, 15% use random paths and 34% attempt to rescreen the whole slide quickly. Twenty‐two percent of laboratories use a mixture of techniques. Timings are also variable, with the majority of laboratories allowing screeners to review slides at a pace decided by themselves but usually between 1 and 2 min. The study involved 120 participants who performed a total of 24 000 rapid screens. The results showed that, of the 90 abnormal slides used in the study, 62 cases (69%) were identified as abnormal or needing review by more than 50% of participants. Overall rapid screening picked out 58% of high‐grade squamous abnormalities, 59% of low‐grade abnormalities and 72% of glandular lesions. Step screening performed best, followed by whole slide/random and then turret. One minute was the optimum time and there was a significant fall in performance once individuals attempted to rescreen large numbers (>50). The most significant finding was the marked variation in the performance of individuals using the same slide sets.
A comparative study: conventional preparation and ThinPrep® 2000 in respiratory cytology
Authors: RANA D. N. , O'DONNELL M. , MALKIN A. , GRIFFIN M.
Published: March 2003

A comparative study: conventional preparation and ThinPrep 2000 in respiratory cytology

In order to compare and contrast conventional preparation (CP) with ThinPrep® 2000 (TP) in respiratory cytology, 207 samples were divided equally and processed by the two different preparation methods, generating three CP and one TP slide per sample. No lesion identified by CP was missed by TP and there were no significant differences between TP and CP in the diagnostic categories. However, two cases of squamous cell carcinoma were detected on TP which had been classified as unsatisfactory and moderate squamous dyskaryosis, respectively, on CP. ThinPrep was found to be superior to CP in many respects as it provided standardized preparations in a greater proportion of cases and problems such as cell overlapping and background debris were markedly reduced. In several instances the diagnostic accuracy in CP was compromised by smears that were either too thick, too thin, or too scanty. Cell preservation was also better on TP when compared with CP, facilitating more accurate diagnosis and significantly reducing the primary screening and reporting time, especially of sputum samples. A major advantage of TP methodology is the fact that it facilitates optimal use of skilled cytotechnologists and streamlines the workflow in the laboratory.
How predictive is a cervical smear suggesting glandular neoplasia?
Authors: MATHERS M. E. , JOHNSON S. J. , WADEHRA V.
Published: March 2003

How predictive is a cervical smear suggesting glandular neoplasia

The prevalence of endocervical adenocarcinoma and its precursors has increased, in part due to increased diagnostic awareness of these lesions. To date, limited information has been published regarding the predictive value of glandular abnormalities in cervical smears.

This study details the histological follow up of 418 cervical smears showing glandular abnormality, reported in our department over a six year period from 1993 to 1998. Histological follow up was available for 395 of the 418 smears (94.50%). The overall positive predictive value (PPV) for this group of smears was 72.66% for either significant glandular or squamous pathology (at least low grade cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia or CIN2 on follow up biopsy), and 55.70% for significant glandular pathology alone. Examination of subcategories of abnormal glandular smear showed that the PPV increased with the degree of abnormality reported within the smears.
Cytomorphological spectrum in gynaecomastia: a study of 389 cases
Authors: Kapila Kusum , Verma Kusum
Published: March 2003

Cytomorphological spectrum in gynaecomastia: a study of 389 cases

The objective of this study was to document the spectrum of cytomorphological features in aspirates from gynaecomastia. During a 22‐year period (July 1979 to June 2001) fine needle aspirations (FNA) were conducted on 651 males with a breast lesion. Fine needle aspirate slides from 529 benign cases were reviewed along with the histological sections of 54 cases where available. Of the 529 FNA, 140 were excluded (105 unsatisfactory, five cystic fluid aspirated, 30 inflammatory lesions). In 134 of 389 cases reviewed florid gynaecomastia was observed while the remainder showed benign ductal cells (BDC) in varying quantities from less than five to more than 25 groups. Of the 134 cases with florid gynaecomastia, 49 had a fibroadenoma‐like picture (FLP), where a large number of BDC fragments with a staghorn configuration, prominent stromal fragments with contoured stroma and bare bipolar nuclei were seen abundantly in all cases. In 85 cases the features resembled fibroadenomatoid hyperplasia (FH), with only an occasional staghorn configuration of BDC seen in 82% of the cases. In 83% of cases stromal fragments of varying proportions were seen but a contoured stroma was seen in only 3.5% of cases. Both stromal and epithelial atypia were seen in 41% and 86% cases, respectively, of FLP, and in 7% and 69% cases of FH. Columnar cells, apocrine cells and foam cells were seen in approximately similar quantities in both the lesions. Vascularized stroma was seen in 22% of the cases with FLP but in only 4.5% of cases those with FH. Cytohistological correlation performed in 54 cases showed marked variation. Fine needle aspirates showed florid changes in 13 of the 41 cases of simple gynaecomastia and two of the eight cases with florid gynaecomastia on tissue sections. In conclusion, a wide spectrum of morphological features are encountered in FNA from benign male breast lesions. It is important to recognize these to avoid a false‐positive diagnosis.
Payoffs of the two alternative nesting tactics in the African dung beetle, Scarabaeus catenatus
Authors: SATO HIROAKI
Published: March 2003

1. Scarabaeus catenatus is a ball‐rolling scarab in the subfamily Scarabaeinae. This species, however, makes use of two tactics for nest building: rolling and tunnelling. The tunnelling tactic differs substantially from the rolling tactic in that (1) it always involves repeated movements to and from the dung source and the nest, whereas rolling does not, and (2) it involves a shorter distance between the two sites.

2. Brood‐nest founders were usually males and less often females, with about 25% adopting the rolling tactic and 75% adopting the tunnelling tactic. During nest building, the founder paired off with a scarab of the opposite sex, and they co‐operated in the work. The female made one to four brood balls from the dung in the nest, each of which contained one egg.

3. Each scarab seemed to be able to employ both tactics. The tactic employed was independent of an individual's status, e.g. body size and timing of nest founding.

4. The rolling tactic offered only male founders a greater nest‐defence success than the tunnelling tactic due to a lower intrusion into the rolled nest and a higher intensity of male–male fighting. The tunnelling tactic offered both male and female founders a larger number of brood balls than the rolling tactic because it enabled scarabs to take a larger amount of dung into the nest.

5. The reproductive success for the two tactics was estimated from the product of nest‐defence success and the number of brood balls. As a result, the two tactics had equal fitness payoffs for males, but unequal payoffs for females.

6. The results suggest that male alternation of tactics is controlled by a mixed strategy. Female alternation, however, cannot be explained by mixed strategy, alternative strategies or conditional strategy.
Cannibalism and the stage‐dependent transmission of a viral pathogen of the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella
Authors: BOOTS MICHAEL
Published: March 2003

1. The transmission of an insect pathogen by cannibalism was studied by a series of choice and no‐choice experiments.

2. Infection of Plodia interpunctella larvae with a granulosis virus occurred through cannibalism of infected larvae.

3. Depending on the larval instars of the cannibal and the victim relative to each other, preferential cannibalism of both infected and healthy larvae was observed.

4. Larvae cannibalise healthy, less vulnerable larvae preferentially, but it is argued that there is no evidence that they are avoiding infection.

5. The victim cannibalised can be explained as a balance between the reduced risk of injury and the ease of cannibalism of moribund infected individuals on the one hand and the greater food resource value of healthy individuals on the other.

6. The implications for the insect population dynamics of the transmission of the pathogen via cannibalism and the effective removal of infective particles through cannibalism by immune stages are discussed.
Effects of ant exclusion during outbreaks of a defoliator and a sap‐sucker on birch
Authors: KARHU KARI J.
Published: March 2003

1. The influence of a wood ant, Formica aquilonia, on the defoliation of the white birch, Betula pubescens, and on its invertebrate community was studied in ant‐exclusion experiments during two outbreaks, the decline phase of the autumnal moth, Epirrita autumnata, and the peak year of the birch aphid, Euceraphis punctipennis, not tended by ants.

2. The numbers of the wood ant and Symydobius oblongus, a tended aphid, in birch foliage showed a strong positive correlation, and the former decreased rapidly when the distance from the ant mound increased, confirming that there was a distance‐related gradient in arboreal ant predation. There may have been a parallel reduction in soil amelioration by ants through nest construction and food gathering.

3. The application of a glue ring around the trunk excluded ants totally from the canopy, inhibiting predation but not fertilization.

4. Ant‐exclusion resulted in a 90–95% reduction in the growth of tended aphid colonies by mid‐season.

5. Outbreak populations of the autumnal moth and the birch aphid were reduced by 45–67% and 77%, respectively, in control trees and correlated negatively with ant numbers.

6. The total percentage of leaf area damaged by moth larvae was 34% lower in ant‐foraged than in unforaged trees.

7. Neither the distance from the ant mound nor its interaction with the glue treatment had any effect on the herbivores or folivory, indicating that the possible soil‐ameliorating effect was weaker than predation, which reduced herbivore numbers at every distance studied (4–20 m).

8. Predation by ants also affected the abundance of syrphid larvae, predatory on both aphids, the percentage parasitism by a wasp, Aleiodes testaceus, on the autumnal moth, and thereby (or directly) its age (size) distribution. The presence of ants had no influence on spider abundance.

9. It is concluded that predation rather than soil amelioration is likely to be the reason why the degree of folivory and, during serious outbreaks, the mortality of trees are lower in the vicinity of wood‐ant mounds.
Persistence of experience effects in the parasitoid Trichogramma nr. brassicae
Authors: BJORKSTEN TRACEY A. , HOFFMANN ARY A.
Published: March 2003

1. The importance of learning in parasitoids is likely to depend on how long learning effects persist, the number of learned stimuli that can be retained, and whether learning effects are confined to low ranked hosts.

2. The duration of learning of host‐specific stimuli was tested in four strains of Trichogramma nr. brassicae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). Both the persistence of learning of the rearing host and oviposition experience were tested in separate experiments.

3. The response to a non‐preferred host, Sitotroga cerealella, was measured at different times following experience on that host or an alternative host, Heliothis punctigera. Both types of experience persisted for at least 5 days in all four strains.

4. The effect of oviposition in a highly preferred host, H. punctigera, following oviposition in S. cerealella was also tested. The increased acceptance of S. cerealella following oviposition on this host persisted despite a subsequent oviposition on H. punctigera.

5. The implications for host range at both individual and population levels are discussed.
Temperature dependence of provisioning behaviour and investment allocation in the European beewolf Philanthus triangulum F.
Authors: STROHM ERHARD , LINSENMAIR K.
Published: March 2003

1. Fisher's sex allocation theory predicts equal investment in sons and daughters. However, in a central European population of the beewolf Philanthus triangulum F. (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), the sex ratio of parental investment is heavily biased towards males.

2. Beewolf females hunt for honeybees and carry them to the nest in flight. In order to fly with the additional load, females must have a certain minimum size that can be attained only with at least three bees as larval food. In contrast, sons require only one bee. Storage of bees might be constrained by an increasing risk of parasitism and fungus infestation. Therefore the female needs to gather the necessary bees to produce a daughter within a short period of time. Under bad weather conditions, females might too often not be able to accomplish this and might be compelled to produce an excess of less costly sons. This hypothesis was tested by investigating the temperature dependence of the hunting and provisioning behaviour of beewolf females.

3. Under semi‐field and field conditions, the duration of the daily activity period and the number of bees a female brought to the nest correlated positively with two measures of ambient temperature, maximum air temperature, and temperature sum during the activity period. The duration of hunting trips but not the duration of pauses between hunting trips correlated negatively with temperature. An estimate of the investment ratio was not significantly correlated with ambient temperature. The proportion of the variance in investment ratio that was explained by ambient temperature was less than 10%.

4. In the laboratory, temperatures affected hunting success but females did not produce more daughters at higher temperatures.

5. In a subtropical climate in southern France, the population investment ratio was biased towards males to the same extent as in central Europe.

6. Thus, temperature affects several aspects of hunting behaviour, but low temperatures do not lead to an overproduction of male offspring and thus are not a constraint that could explain the observed male‐biased investment ratio.
To fly or not to fly: response of water striders to drying out of habitat
Authors: Harada Tetsuo
Published: March 2003

Abstract.1. Adults of Aquarius paludum inhabit both temporary and permanent water surfaces; Gerris latiabdominis lives only in temporary habitats. To clarify whether adults of both species stay in position or fly when habitats dry up, overwintered adults of A. paludum and G. latiabdominis collected in spring were reared under one of the following four conditions: (A) on water with sufficient food, (B) on water, starved, (C) on wet paper with sufficient food, (D) on wet paper, starved. All rearings were at LD 15.5:8.5 h, 20 ± 2 °C, resembling natural conditions for April to June.

2. Females of A. paludum in group C had lower fecundity than the control group A and some stopped laying eggs. When a water surface was restored, females that had entered reproductive diapause began to lay eggs again. In contrast, females of G. latiabdominis continued to lay eggs even when reared on damp paper.

3. Adults of A. paludum lived longer and adopted diapause posture with high frequency when starved and reared without a water surface. There were, however, no significant differences in the longevity or in the number of adults showing diapause posture between groups A and D of G. latiabdominis.

4. Females of A. paludum collected in the middle of May had more mature oocytes (mean: 20.8) than females of G. latiabdominis (mean: 8.0), and most had histolysed their indirect flight muscles; most females of G. latiabdominis had retained their flight muscles and flew readily.

5. When water surfaces dry, with food shortage, adults of A. paludum may survive in place for a relatively long time until the water surface returns. Adults of G. latiabdominis may fly to other water surfaces and reproduce without delay.
Compact housing in built‐up areas: spatial patterning of nests in aggregations of a ground‐nesting bee
Authors: Potts Simon G. , Willmer Pat.
Published: March 2003

Abstract.1. The spatial patterning of nests in ten aggregations of a ground‐nesting bee Halictus rubicundus (Christ) was examined using nearest‐neighbour distance analysis.

2. Large scale aggregation was demonstrated and attributed to a preference for nesting in limited areas of the most suitable substrate in conjunction with natal site fidelity of nest‐founding females.

3. Within patches of high nest density, there was a fine‐scale regularity resulting from competition for sufficient substrate to maintain the structural integrity of the nest.

4. The appropriateness of four statistical tests is discussed with respect to analysing the spatial arrangement of nests in populations with both aggregated and regular components.
Seasonal variation in parental care, offspring development, and reproductive success in the burying beetle, Nicrophorus vespillo
Authors: Meierhofer IngE. , Schwarz Horst H. , Müller Josef K.
Published: March 2003

1. Beetles of the genus Nicrophorus reproduce on small vertebrate carcasses that they bury in the soil to provide the larvae with food. Usually, both parents cooperate in brood care by feeding and guarding their progeny.

2. In pairs of the common European species N. vespillo, the duration of care depended on the time of year when the beetles reproduced. Both in 1990 and in 1991, male and female parents stayed longer with their broods when reproduction started in spring than when reproduction started in early or late summer. This was probably due to the longer development time of the larvae caused by lower temperatures in spring, because laboratory experiments suggested a strong influence of temperature on both the duration of brood care and offspring development.

3. The number of adult offspring produced by a beetle pair did not vary among different times of the year.

4. The median time required for offspring development, measured as time from burial of the carcass to emergence of young adults, was between 62 and 84 days. When the beetles reproduced in late summer, only about three‐quarters of the offspring left the soil and hibernated as adults. The remaining offspring stayed underground and adults appeared on the soil surface the following spring. They still showed the flexible cuticle typical of newly‐hatched beetles, suggesting that they may have overwintered in a pre‐adult stage.
The interplay between plant traits and herbivore attack: a study of a stem galling midge in the neotropics
Authors: Prado Paulo Inácio K. L. , Vieira Emerson Monteiro
Published: March 2003

1. The relationship between plant traits and the frequency of attack by a stem galling midge, Neolasioptera sp. (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), on Eremanthus erythropappus (Asteraceae) was studied. The morphological changes of the host after a galler attack and the potential effects of these changes on attacks by the next generation of gallers were analysed. The study was conducted in the Serra do Japi, São Paulo, south‐eastern Brazil.

2. Galled branches were significantly longer, thicker, and had more leaves than ungalled branches. Accordingly, gall establishment was higher in the longer and more foliose branches. Hence, it is suggested that ovipositing females are maximizing their performance by selecting larger branches.

3. Galled branches were larger than ungalled branches of the same age. Two hypotheses, not necessarily exclusive, can explain this pattern: (1) the plant vigour hypothesis that the females are choosing the more vigorous, fast‐growing branches, which still remain more vigorous after galling; or (2) the resource regulation hypothesis that galling increases branch growth rates, thus increasing resource quality for forthcoming conspecifics.

4. Co‐occurrence frequencies of current and past generation galls showed that the likelihood of a branch being galled increased when it, or the branch from which it stemmed, had been galled before. The data indicated that this preference was conditioned by the number of previous attacks. Heavier attack intensities, such as one gall in the same branch and another in the branch from which it stemmed, decreased the probability of further galling.

5. The suggested links between herbivore attack and plant traits indicate that studies on host selection by phytophagous insects must take into account that herbivory itself may change the plant traits that are postulated to be selected by the insects.
Ant effects on three‐trophic level interactions: plant, galls, and parasitoids
Authors: Fernandes G. W. , Fagundes M. , Woodman R. L. , Price P. W.
Published: March 2003

1. Ants have evolved mutualistic relationships with a diverse array of plant and animal species. Usually, the predatory/aggressive behaviour of ants near food sources can limit herbivore damage.

2. Galls of Disholcaspis edura on Quercus turbinella produce a secretion that is harvested by three species of ants (Formica neorufibarbis, Liometopium apiculatum, and Monomorium cyaneum) in the chaparral vegetation of Arizona, U.S.A. The study reported here provides evidence of a mutualistic relationship between these species of ants and the gall‐forming wasp Disholcaspis edura.

3. An ant exclusion experiment showed that when ants tended galls, the rate of parasitism by Platygaster sp. on Disholcaspis edura was nearly halved in comparison to a treatment in which ants were excluded.

4. In the presence of ants, galls with the largest diameter suffered a lower mortality rate due to parasitoid attack than when ants were excluded. Thus, ant presence reduced the selective pressure imposed by Platygaster sp. on the galls with larger diameter.
Niche differentiation in nectar‐collecting stingless bees: the influence of morphology, floral choice and interference competition
Authors: Biesmeijer Jacobus C. , Richter Juliette A. P. , Smeets Martin A. J. P. , Sommeijer Marinus J.
Published: March 2003

1. Dozens of social bee species, most of them stingless bees, occur sympatrically in the tropics. The proximate mechanisms through which they partition their resources are, apart from aggressive interactions betweenTrigonaspecies, not well studied. In the work reported here, niche differentiation at patch level was studied, using two species ofMeliponathat occur sympatrically in the Central Pacific part of Costa Rica. Foragers ofMelipona beecheiiare known to collect more concentrated nectar than doMelipona fasciataforagers, even from the same plant species. This observation raises the question of what mechanism leads to such partitioning of nectar resources? To address this question, the roles of bee morphology, floral preferences, and interference competition in partitioning of nectar sources were studied.

2. It was shown experimentally that the feeding rate of both species was highest at 60% nectar concentration.Melipona fasciatapreferred 60–70% concentrations to less concentrated solutions, whereasM. beecheiiignored 20% solutions and visited the other solutions equally often. Both species preferred sucrose to glucose and fructose.Melipona beecheii,with a yellowish coloured body, preferred sunny patches, whereasM. fasciata, with a dark brown body, preferred shady patches. Interference competition between the species occurred when they visited the same sugar‐water feeder:M. fasciatawas dominant overM. beecheii.

3. The nectar foraging strategies of the two species can be summarised as follows:M. beecheiiis able to visit sunlit patches, due to its lighter body colour, and is thus able to collect nectar of optimal or near optimal sugar concentration (40–65%). Individuals do not actively choose nectar with a high concentration of sugar, but the average sugar concentration in bee‐collected nectar will typically be high in sunlit patches.Melipona fasciata,on the other hand, avoids sunlit patches, but actively chooses the richest nectar in shady patches and tries to dominate such patches. Thus, niche differentiation occurs according to the radiation regime at flower patches, and interference competition will occur rarely under natural conditions. The role of similar mechanisms in other closely related stingless bees is discussed.