Walter J. De Coster

Pathogenesis of Binswanger chronic progressive subcortical encephalopathy

We studied the clinicopathologic findings in four hypertensive patients with multiple leukomalacia, demyelinated lesions, and lacunar state. Only one patient had clinical evidence of dementia. The periventricular watershed infarcts were attributed to transient episodes of cardiac failure in brains with a compromised circulation in the territory of the deep perforating branches. These observations suggest that Binswanger encephalopathy does not differ from multi-infarct dementia.

The flavonoid tangeretin inhibits invasion of MO4 mouse cells into embryonic chick heartin vitro

Tangeretin, a flavonoid from citrus plants, was found to inhibit the invasion of MO4 cells (Kirsten murine sarcoma virus transformed fetal mouse cells) into embryonic chick heart fragmentsin vitro. The flavonoid appeared to be chemically stable in tissue culture medium, and the anti-invasive effect was reversible on omission of the molecule from the medium. Unlike (+)-catechin, another anti-invasive flavonoid, tangeretin bound poorly to extracellular matrix. It did not alter fucosylated surface glycopeptides of MO4 cells. Tangeretin seemed not to act as a microtubule inhibitor, as immunocytochemistry revealed no disturbance of the cytoplasmic microtubule complex. However, at antiinvasive concentrations of tangeretin, cell proliferation and thymidine incorporation appeared to be inhibited. When cultured on an artificial substrate, treated MO4 cells were less elongated, covered a larger surface area and exhibited a slower directional migration than untreated cells. From the decrease in ATP content in MO4 cells after tangeretin treatment, we deduce that this flavonoid inhibits a number of intracellular processes, which leads to an inhibition of cell motility and hence of invasion.

Pore space characteristics as indicators of soil behaviour in gypsiferous soils

Abstract In order to study the physical properties of gypsiferous soils (Gypsic Xerochrepts and Typic Xerofluvents) from an irrigated semi-arid area in Catalonia (NE Spain) and their relationships to their pore characteristics, twenty horizons with gypsum contents ranging between 0 and 90% were sampled for micromorphological and physical analyses. The micromorphological study consisted of thin section description and of image analysis of uncovered thin sections of samples impregnated with a UV-fluorescent dye. Eight fields of each horizon were studied. Two images were obtained from each field (2.1×3.1 cm 2 ): one illuminated with incident UV-light and the other with transmitted white light. Image processing with an IBAS-system allowed measurement of the geometric characteristics of three types of objects: actual pores (eq. diam.>100 μm), transparent objects infilled or not with gypsum and pores located in these transparent objects. The physical characteristics of the same horizons considered in the study were the water-characteristic curves and the saturated hydraulic conductivity. Although differences in total porosity (between 6 and 16%) are not related to other properties, an increase of gypsum content leads in the studied horizons to the replacement of large pores by smaller packing pores between gypsum crystals in infillings, which are interconnected and do not reduce saturated hydraulic conductivity. Available water is affected by the degree of mixing of the gypsum infillings with the groundmass, besides the crystal size distribution. The results stress the importance of pore clogging by gypsum in these materials as a major constraint for root development, as well as the need of describing the type of gypsum accumulation when assessing the suitability of these soils for plant growth.

The Phototrichogram: Analysis of Some Technical Factors of Variation

Photographic methods for hair evaluation are frequently proposed as an alternative to more invasive methods (trichogram or biopsy). The reliability in terms of quantitative follow-up of hair growth has not been evaluated properly. We report results of comparative studies of scalp hair evaluation with various photographic methods. Statistically significant findings were a better detection of scalp hairs using the original enlargement × 3 as compared to × 2 (212 vs. 167 hair follicles/cm2) and a more acceptable estimate of linear hair growth rate with ‘scalp immersion proxigraphy’ (SIP) (0.317 mm/day) as compared with classical phototrichogram pictures where this variable was underestimated by 30% on average (0.27 mm/day). SIP-generated linear hair growth rates were very close to the micrometric method (0.37 mm/day). Therefore SIP × 3 images appear preferable for hair growth monitoring during clinical trials.

Scalp immersion proxigraphy (SIP): an improved imaging technique for phototrichogram analysis*

In recent years we have developed the concept of using automated computer assisted image analysis (ACAIA) for hair growth evaluation. The success of this sophisticated technology depends on the quality of the original images that are fed into the mainframe of the image analyzer. Application of immersion oil onto the scalp site to be photographed appears to improve contrast between hair and scalp and has been named ‘Scalp Immersion Proxigraphy’ (SIP) in contrast to crude proxigraphy, that is close‐up photography without application of immersion oil, commonly used for phototrichogram analysis (PT). In this paper, we report evidence indicating that besides the qualitative improvement of the image, SIP also contributes to generate more accurate quantitative data. Such a conclusion was reached after hair growth variables were compared as a function of the photographic method (SIP vs. PT: 16 scalp sites; 5 balding subjects with clinical features consistent with androgen dependent alopecia). Each site was photographed with both techniques immediately after clipping and 48 h later. After image recording, we manually re‐processed the original pictures on transparencies. The original pictures and the transparencies were analyzed with ACAIA. There was a significant difference between methods in terms of evaluation of linear hair growth rate (LHGR; mm/day, n= 1332 bairs; Scheffe F‐test, P < 0.05). LHGR recorded with re‐processed SIP pictures (0.317 mm/day) was very close to that measured in our laboratory with micrometric methods. Distorted figures were generated by PT, leading to an underestimation of this parameter by 30% on average (0.224 mm/day). From previous studies, we knew that hair diameter correlates with linear hair growth rate: the thinner the hair fiber, the slower the growth rate. Both variables may be considered as additive in terms of severity of the alopecia. In this comparative trial of two phototrichogram techniques, we showed that linear hair growth rates can only be accurately estimated with SIP. Therefore, SIP should be used instead of crude proxigraphy when a global assessment of hair growth is to be monitored during clinical trials.

Cytophotometric DNA determination in human oligodendroglial tumours

Cytophotometric DNA determination was performed on 11 surgically resected oligodendroglial tumours and on oligodendroglial cells in two normal brains. The results are compared with the histological findings, the mitotic index and the degree of clinical malignancy. In this type of glioma there is no correlation between the DNA pattern and the histological appearances and the mitotic index. It is concluded that an aneuploid DNA distribution curve corresponds to a bad prognosis, whilst a diploid DNA curve does not allow prediction of the degree of clinical malignancy.

Acid phosphatase activity of cerebrospinal fluid cells in bacterial and abacterial meningitis.

Acid phosphatase staining is performed on cerebrospinal fluid cells of 365 samples from 105 patients with various types of meningitis. This enzyme activity is strongly positive in the early samples of

Nemaline bodies in a progressive infantile neuromuscular disorder.

SummaryNemaline bodies are described in a case of a progressive neuromuscular disorder, which is difficult to classify. The clinical syndrome is not characteristic of a nemaline myopathy. It is argued that the finding of nemaline bodies is in itself not specific of any neuromuscular disease.ZusammenfassungNemaline-Strukturen werden in einem Fall von progressiver Neuromyopathie beschrieben, welcher schwer einzuordnen ist. Das klinische Syndrom ist nicht kennzeichnend für Nemaline-Myopathie. Im vorliegenden Fall deutet das Vorkommen dieser Nemaline-Strukturen darauf, daß diese an sich nicht für eine bestimmte neuromuskuläre Krankheit spezifisch sind.