PET/CT-guided biopsies of metabolically active bone lesions: applications and clinical impact

Purpose: In a minority of cases a definite diagnosis and stage grouping in cancer patients is not possible based on the imaging information of PET/CT. We report our experience with percutaneous PET/CT-guided bone biopsies to histologically verify the aetiology of hypermetabolic bone lesions. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 20 consecutive patients who underwent multimodal image-guided bone biopsies using a dedicated PET/CT system in a step-by-step technique. Technical and clinical success rates of PET/CT-guided biopsies were evaluated. Questionnaires were sent to the referring physicians to assess the impact of biopsies on patient management and to check the clinical need for PET/CT-guided biopsies. Results: Clinical indications for biopsy were to histologically verify the aetiology of metabolically active bone lesions without a morphological correlate confirming the suspicion of metastases in 15 patients, to determine the origin of suspected metastases in 3 patients and to evaluate the appropriateness of targeted therapy options in 2 patients. Biopsies were technically successful in all patients. In 19 of 20 patients a definite histological diagnosis was possible. No complications or adverse effects occurred. The result of PET/CT-guided bone biopsies determined a change of the planned treatment in overall 56% of patients, with intramodality changes, e.g. chemotherapy with palliative instead of curative intent, and intermodality changes, e.g. systemic therapy instead of surgery, in 22 and 50%, respectively. Conclusion: PET/CT-guided bone biopsies are a promising alternative to conventional techniques to make metabolically active bone lesions—especially without a distinctive morphological correlate—accessible for histological verification. PET/CT-guided biopsies had a major clinical impact in patients who otherwise cannot be reliably stage grouped at the time of treatment decision

The Turkish wheat market: spatial price transmission and the impact of transaction costs

Agricultural production is spread all over Turkey and the considerably different climatic and topographical conditions among the provinces lead to highly diversified agricultural production. Therefore, is it reasonable to assume an integrated market all over Turkey? The authors analyze spatial price transmission among 28 Turkish provinces with regard to wheat markets. They apply a bivariate threshold vector error correction model with two symmetric thresholds to account for transaction costs. They find an inner cluster of highly integrated provinces and identify the market size as a driving force of market integration. Furthermore, this study is unique in determining the minimum level of transaction costs. The results suggest that the minimum transaction costs impede full market integration more often on smaller than on larger markets. [EconLit citations: L100; D230; Q110]. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Spatial market integration and the dynamics of transaction costs in the Chinese soy bean market

The development over time of market integration between Chinese provinces is analyzed by estimating threshold vector error correction models for rolling windows during 1998-2003. Transaction costs clearly decrease during this period characterized by liberalization of external trade and domestic markets

Organizational Mortality of Small Firms: The Effects of Entrepreneurial Age and Human Capital

This paper addresses the issue of internal determination of organizational outcomes. It is argued that in small and simply structured organizations a considerable proportion of the variance in organizational activities and outcomes is associated with individuals. In particular, the paper uses human capital theory to derive hypotheses about individual determinants of organizational mortality. These hypotheses are tested with event-history data of firm registrations and de-registrations in a West German region. The hypotheses are corroborated by the data, but the effects may nonetheless be due to processes linking individual characteristics with organizational performance other than those suggested by the human capital approach

Финно-угорские народы в контексте российского федерализма

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) is a new and revolutionary identification method for microorganisms and has recently been introduced into clinical microbiology in many industrialized countries in Europe and North America.Our study aimed to compare the performance and practicality of two commercial MALDI-TOF MS platforms in a head-to head manner at a routine laboratory in Chile.During a five-month period in 2012-13, the diagnostic efficiency (correct identification rate) and agreement between Microflex LT (Bruker Daltonics) and Vitek MS (bioMérieux) was compared in a parallel manner to conventional identification including genotypic analysis for difficult-to-identify strains. The study included 804 microbial isolates: 252 Enterobacteriaceae, 126 non-fermenters, 36 other gram-negative rods, 279 gram-positive cocci, 32 gram-positive rods, 32 anaerobes, and 47 yeasts. Other relevant factors of the two devices such as user friendliness and connectivity were also evaluated and compared.Both systems correctly identified the vast majority (98%) of the isolates to the genus level. Vitek MS reached higher rates of identification to species and species complex level than Microflex LT (81% vs. 85% and 87% vs. 93%, respectively), which was mainly based on the higher performance among coagulase negative staphylococci and Candida isolates. The evaluation of user friendliness and other technical aspects showed only marginal differences, which slightly favored Vitek MS, mainly due to its ready-to-use supplies, easier connectivity and workflow integration, and availability of local technical support.Both MALDI-TOF MS systems permitted fast and accurate identification of most microbial strains and showed a high level of user-friendliness. The observed differences were marginal and slightly favored Vitek MS, mainly due to practicality and connectivity issues within our setting

FACT -- Operation of the First G-APD Cherenkov Telescope

Since more than two years, the First G-APD Cherenkov Telescope (FACT) is operating successfully at the Canary Island of La Palma. Apart from its purpose to serve as a monitoring facility for the brightest TeV blazars, it was built as a major step to establish solid state photon counters as detectors in Cherenkov astronomy. The camera of the First G-APD Cherenkov Telesope comprises 1440 Geiger-mode avalanche photo diodes (G-APD aka. MPPC or SiPM) for photon detection. Since properties as the gain of G-APDs depend on temperature and the applied voltage, a real-time feedback system has been developed and implemented. To correct for the change introduced by temperature, several sensors have been placed close to the photon detectors. Their read out is used to calculate a corresponding voltage offset. In addition to temperature changes, changing current introduces a voltage drop in the supporting resistor network. To correct changes in the voltage drop introduced by varying photon flux from the night-sky background, the current is measured and the voltage drop calculated. To check the stability of the G-APD properties, dark count spectra with high statistics have been taken under different environmental conditions and been evaluated. The maximum data rate delivered by the camera is about 240 MB/s. The recorded data, which can exceed 1 TB in a moonless night, is compressed in real-time with a proprietary loss-less algorithm. The performance is better than gzip by almost a factor of two in compression ratio and speed. In total, two to three CPU cores are needed for data taking. In parallel, a quick-look analysis of the recently recorded data is executed on a second machine. Its result is publicly available within a few minutes after the data were taken. [...]Comment: 19th IEEE Real-Time Conference, Nara, Japan (2014

A Turning Point in Aviation Training: The AQP Mandates Crew Resource Management and Line Operational Simulations

Crew Resource Management (CRM) and Line Oriented Flight Training (LOFT) have not been mandatory elements of air carrier flight crew training. Additionally, Full-Flight Simulation and Flight Training Devices (FTDs) have been tools utilized to various degrees by the different air carrier training departments. Each air carrier\u27s training program has traditionally been approved by its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Principal Operations Inspector (POI). The Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) is an alternative method of training air carrier flight crewmembers and will be a voluntary program applicable to airline certificate holders under the Code of Federal Regulations Section 14 (14 CFR--encompasses aeronautics and space) Parts 121 and 135. The FAA has facilitated the implementation of AQPs with the issuance of a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR 58), rather than rewriting the numerous Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) which detail air carrier training. Additionally, an Air Carrier Training Branch (AFS-210) has been established to administer AQPs, with quality control being developed by a human factors specialist. Mandatory CRM training and the utilization of Line Operational Simulations (LOS--a rechristening of LOFT) are key elements of the AQP curriculum for flight crewmembers. As AQPs are approved, increased utilization of FTDs may augment and optimize Full-Flight Simulation. ... it is anticipated that AQP will become standard practice in the future for FAR Parts 121 and 135 operators (Longridge and Boothe, 1991)