Left ventricular diastolic filling alterations in subjects with mitral valve prolapse: A Doppler echocardiographic study

1993

To assess left ventricular diastolic filling in mitral valve prolapse (MVP), we studied 22 patients with idiopathic MVP and 22 healthy controls matched for sex, age, body surface area and heart rate. A two-dimensional, M-mode and Doppler echocardiographic examination was performed to exclude any cardiac abnormalities. The two groups had similar diastolic and systolic left ventricular volumes, left ventricle mass and ejection fraction. Doppler measurements of mitral inflow were: E and A areas (the components of the total flow velocity-time integral in the early passive period of ventricular filling, E; and the late active period of atrial emptying, A), the peak E and A velocities (cm.s-1), a…

Estimation of the dimensionality of sleep-EEG data in schizophrenics

1993

Deterministic chaos could be regarded as a healthy flexibility of the human brain necessary for correct neuronal operations. Several investigations have demonstrated that in healthy subjects the dimensionality of REM sleep is much higher than that of slow wave sleep (SWS). We investigated the sleep-EEG of schizophrenic patients with methods from nonlinear system theory in order to estimate the dynamic properties of CNS. We hypothesized that schizophrenics would reveal alterations of their dynamic EEG features indicating impaired information processing. In 11 schizophrenic patients, the EEG's dimensionality during sleep stages II and REM was reduced. We suggest that such lower dimensional ch…

On the Conditions to Prevent Plastic Shakedown of Structures: Part I—Theory

1993

For a structure of elastic perfectly plastic material subjected to a given cyclic (mechanical and/or kinematical) load and to a steady (mechanical) load, the conditions are established in which plastic shakedown cannot occur whatever the steady load, and thus the structure is safe against the alternating plasticity collapse. Static and kinematic theorems, analogous to those of classical shakedown theory, are presented.

Comparison of outer membrane protein profiles of Vibrio vulnificus biotypes 1 and 2.

1993

The outer membrane proteins of 17 Vibrio vulnificus biotype 2 strains from Japanese and European eels, and 12 biotype 1 strains from clinical and environmental sources have been compared. The overall profile in both biotypes was similar, and a major protein band of molecular mass 36 kDa was detected in the majority of the strains. Differences in the minor bands allowed differentiation of strains from different origins, suggesting that outer membrane protein profiles could be useful as epidemiological markers in the species V. vulnificus. Immunoblotting with antisera to whole cells of selected strains of biotypes 1 and 2 showed a strong antigenic response to outer membrane proteins 66, 60, 4…

Synthesis of block copolymers with poly(methyl methacrylate): P(B-b-MMA), P(EB-b-MMA), P(S-b-B-b-MMA) and P(S-b-EB-b-MMA)

1993

Well-defined diblock copolymers poly(butadiene-b-methyl methacrylate) (=P(B-b-MMA)) and triblock copolymers poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-methyl methacrylate) (=P(S-b-B-b-MMA)) have been prepared by sequential anionic polymerization in THF. The synthesis of P(B-b-MMA) and P(S-b-B-b-MMA) was most efficient in the presence of lithium alkoxides. By this method side reactions are suppressed and the polymerization can be performed at higher temperatures. The resulting triblock copolymers have narrow molecular weight distribution. The 1,2-PB midblock was quantitatively hydrogenated with tosylhydrazide to enhance thermal stability. Alternatively the hydrogenation can be performed at elevated pressure…

Endoscopic Ultrasonography in the Diagnosis of Regional Lymph Nodes in Esophageal and Gastric Cancer - Results of Studies in Vitro

1993

A total of 90 regional lymph nodes (43 benign/47 metastatic) from 16 surgical resection specimens of patients with esophageal and gastric carcinoma were examined in vitro by endosonography. The validity of endosonographic criteria of lymph node dignity (size, echogenicity, internal echo pattern and margin structure) was assessed using computer-supported B-mode analysis and compared to histopathological results. Of 26 lymph nodes with a diameter of more than 10 mm, 19 were metastatic (72%). The subjective assessment of the internal echo pattern (homogeneity) and the node margins by an experienced observer allowed the diagnosis of metastatic lymph nodes, but there was a high proportion of fal…

A new approach to the ϱ-meson in QCD

1993

We examine whether strict local duality between the asymptotic and the resonance region, which is of course believed to be valid in QCD, already appears at the present stage of QCD calculations. For this purpose we propose a new method of stable analytic extrapolation which follows the spirit of a previously used method but has essential advantages compared to the original formulation. A careful analysis of the present QCD ϱ-amplitude leads indeed to a prominent bump structure in the resonance region. This is a first evidence for the validity of strictly local duality within QCD.

Photodetachment ofH−in the presence of a low-frequency laser field

1993

The photodetachment of a model one-electron ion simulating ${\mathrm{H}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ in the presence of a low-frequency field is analyzed. Two different geometries are considered in order to get information on the effect of the ponderomotive energy shift \ensuremath{\Delta} on the photodetachment cross section. Our calculations suggest that a correspondence may be established between the ponderomotive shift and the photodetachment cross section, when the ejected electron may exchange only a few low-frequency photons. This is in qualitative agreement with recent experimental observations. When a large number of processes are open in which the detached electron may exchange low…

T cells in reactive arthritis

1993

T cells appear to play a major role in the development, maintenance and also resolution of reactive arthritis (ReA). Recent advances in understanding the processes involved in T cell activation now allow us to examine the peripheral blood and synovial fluid T cell responses to given "arthritogenic" microorganisms in terms of antigen specificity, epitope identification, cytokine secretion patterns, HLA restriction and the role of different T cell subsets in ReA. Peripheral blood bulk proliferation and limiting dilution studies provide evidence that the peripheral T cell response against arthritis-associated gram-negative bacteria is decreased in patients developing immunological sequelae suc…

The analysis of dielectric relaxation phenomena with the inverse Fourier transformation

1993

Abstract A method to determine the distribution of relaxation times directly from dielectric loss spectra is presented. The method is based upon a deconvolution procedure: the Fourier transform of the loss factor is divided by sech( π 2 f ) and then, via an inverse Fourier transformation, transformed into the time domain. Limitations and possible improvements of the method are discussed. It is shown that the present method is able to reveal local relaxation processes not perceptible in the loss factor spectrum. With stimulated noise-free data, the resolution of the method is one third of a decade on a logarithmic relaxation timescale.

An idealized mechanism for the orbital migration of protoplanets

1993

We report here how the action of radiation forces on small solid particles in a circumstellar disc could induce a suitable mechanism for orbital migration of protoplanets. The ratio of radiation-to-gravitational forces acting on a particle depends on its physical and chemical properties. As a consequence of this fact, we show that different particles following the same trajectory would move with different velocities. Sufficiently large bodies, insensitive to radiation forces, would accrete dust particles that are moving more slowly, thus spiralling towards the central star and transporting mass and angular momentum from the outer to the inner parts of the circumstellar disc. In the case of …

Quark antisymmetrization in nuclei

1993

Plumage colour and male-male interactions in the pied flycatcher

1993

Abstract Abstract. The influence of male colour on male-male interactions in the pied flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca , was studied using several types of field experiments. This species exhibits delayed plumage maturation, each male becoming more conspicuously black and white from the first to the second breeding summer. However, individual males vary even more, some old males being as brown as females. When territorial males were presented with a choice between brown and black male intruders (or brown males painted black) they directed more aggression towards the black males. Brown plumage did not help males obtain nestboxes close to other males. If anything browner males were at a disadva…

Electronic properties of poly(pyrrylene vinylenes): a theoretical approach

1993

Abstract We present a theoretical investigation of the electronic properties of poly(pyrrylene vinylene) and its methyl and methoxy derivatives by using the valence effective Hamiltonian (VEH) method. Theoretical calculations predict that the electronic properties of poly(pyrrylene vinylene) remain almost unaffected upon methyl substitution, while a noticeable lowering of ∼0.4 eV is obtained for the ionization potential and energy gap upon methoxy substitution. The VEH trends are in quantitative agreement with experimental data reported for poly(thienylene vinylene) derivatives.

A note on projective coordinate systems of modular lattices

1993

This note clarifies the combinatorial nature of projective coordinate systems of modular upper continuous lattices. It generalizes the classical relationship between 3-dimensional Desarguesian configurations and coordinate systems of projective 3-spaces.

Characterization of DNA adducts at the bay region of dibenz[a,h]anthracene formed in vitro

1993

Bay region diolepoxide-DNA adducts of dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DBA) formed in vitro were identified and their absolute stereochemistry was assigned. After activation of [5,12-14C]DBA with liver microsomes obtained from Aroclor 1254 treated male Sprague-Dawley rats in the presence of calf thymus DNA for 1 h, the amount of DNA adducts was found to be 9.9 +/- 2.4 pmol/mg DNA, calculated on the basis of the portion of radioactivity eluted from the HPLC reversed-phase column with a water/acetonitrile gradient. Bay region diolepoxide-DNA adducts represented 27.5% of radioactivity associated with DNA adducts. The absolute configuration of the various adducts was determined from the reaction of the (…

Reactions of rhodium trifluoroacetate with triphenylphosphine and pyridine. Molecular structure of Rh2(O2CCF3)4(py)4

1993

Abstract Rh 2 (O 2 CCF 3 ) 4 reacts with two mol of triphenylphosphine forming the adduct Rh 2 (O 2 CCF 3 ) 4 (PPh 3 ) 2 . This compound in solution, even at room temperature, undergoes slow stepwise orthometalation of the phosphine ligands forming the doubly metalated compound Rh 2 (O 2 CCF 3 ) 2 [(C 6 H 4 )P(C 6 H 5 ) 2 ] 2 . This reaction has been monitored by 31 P NMR spectroscopy detecting in solution three reaction intermediates. Rh 2 (O 2 CCF 3 ) 4 reacts with excess of pyridine to form the compound Rh 2 (O 2 CCF 3 ) 4 (py) 4 that can be structurally classified as a class III adduct. It contains two bridging and two monodentate equatorial carboxylates and two equatorial and two axial…

Aggressive chemotherapy combined with G-CSF and maintenance therapy with interleukin-2 for patients with advanced myelodysplastic syndrome, subacute …

1993

Aggressive chemotherapy of advanced myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), acute myeloid leukemia (AML) evolving from MDS, subacute AML and secondary AML has usually been associated with low complete remission (CR) rates, a high incidence of early death, and low disease-free survival. We therefore have initiated a phase-III trial of aggressive chemotherapy consisting of idarubicin, cytosine arabinoside, and VP-16 to improve the CR rate. Each chemotherapy cycle is followed by G-CSF to accelerate neutrophil recovery and to reduce the incidence of infections. Until now, 19 patients with high-risk AML have been entered. The CR rate is 47%, with only one death during induction. Patients achieving CR ar…

Theoretical study of selective H3 receptor antagonists of histamine

1993

Abstract The conformations and charge distributions of three selective H3 receptor antagonists of histamine were determined using the MNDO approach. The results suggest that the conformational flexibilities of betahistine, N α-(2-phenylacetyl)histamine and thioperamide are different; however, the low-energy conformations of these compounds show closely related spatial orderings. The MNDO calculations predict a significant population of the N1H form in the imidazole systems of N α-(2-phenylacetyl)histamine and thioperamide. Our results indicate that the conformational behaviour of H3 antagonists is closely similar to that reported for H2 antagonists of histamine. These results emphasize the …

Multiphase chemistry in a microphysical radiation fog model—A numerical study

1993

A microphysical radiation fog model is coupled with a detailed chemistry module to simulate chemical reactions in the gas phase and in fog water during a radiation fog event. In the chemical part of the model the microphysical particle spectrum is subdivided into three size classes corresponding to non-activated aerosol particles, small and large fog droplets. Chemical reactions in the liquid phase are separately calculated in the small and in the large droplet size class. The impact of the chemical constitution of activated aerosols on fogwater chemistry is considered in the model simulations. The mass transfer of chemical species between the gas phase and the two liquid phases is treated …

Mr. Maxwell's journey into hadron country (electromagnetic currents in nuclei)

1993

In these lectures an introduction is given into the main features of nuclear structure investigations by photoabsorption and electron scattering. After a brief review of the general structure of the electromagnetic interaction, the gauge conditions and low-energy theorems for the electromagnetic interaction operators are discussed. The various theoretical schemes for incorporating subnuclear degrees of freedom either as effective operators like the pion exchange current or explicitely like in the model of nuclear isobar configurations are reviewed. At the end, a few specific experiments are discussed as an illustration of what can be learned from such experiments.

Driven harmonic oscillators in the adiabatic Magnus approximation

1993

The time evolution of driven harmonic oscillators is determined by applying the Magnus expansion in the basis set of instantaneous eigenstates of the total Hamiltonian. It is shown that the first-order approximation already provides transition probabilities close to the exact values even in the intermediate regime.

Retention of Vanadium(V), Molybdenum(VI) and Tungsten(VI) by Kaolin

1993

Abstract The ability of kaolin (approximately H2Al2Si2O8 · H2O), a well known clay mineral constituent, to retain V(V) andMo(VI) species from 10−5 and 10−4 M solutions, and W(VI) species from 10−4 M solutions was investigated in the pH range 2–7.5 using a solid/liquid ratio 1:100 (w:v). The equilibration time in the adsorption studies was 72 h, and the shaking time in the desorption studies was 17 h. 0.02 M KCl was used as ionic medium and desorbing liquid. V(V), Mo(VI) and W(VI) were all retained by kaolin to some extent, and the amounts of the elements which could be washed away from kaolin with 0.02 M KCl were very small. The pH dependence of the adsorption was considerable: when added a…

Study of the antioedema activity of some seaweed and sponge extracts from the mediterranean coast in mice

1993

Chloroform and methanol extracts of ten marine species, seven seaweeds and three sponges, have been studied for possible, antioedema activities. The extracts were administered either topically or orally on TPA-induced mouse ear oedema and on carrageenan mouse paw oedema, respectively. The most interesting seaweed extracts were found to be from Corallina elongata, Galaxaura oblongata, Laurencia obtusa and Udotea petiolata, where both extracts of each species induced a large antioedema effect in both models employed. None of the sponges assayed demonstrated antiinflammatory effects on carrageenan mouse paw oedema, however, some extracts elicited an inhibition of the oedema developed by TPA.

An ab initio study of the electron affinity of O2

1993

Abstract Coupled pair functional, multiconfigurational second-order perturbation theory, and multireference CI methods have been applied in a calculation of the electron affinity of the oxygen molecule. The convergence of the theoretical result has been checked with respect to a systematic expansion of the one-electron basis and the multireference CI wavefunction. The best calculated value, 0.39 eV, is 0.06 eV smaller than the recent experimental value 0.45±0.01 eV.

CSF shunt infections in children

1993

The incidence of shunt infections and possible risk factors was investigated by chart analysis. From 1986 to 1989 350 shunt procedures were performed including 273 ventriculoperitoneal shunts and 75 ventriculoatrial shunts. Twenty-eight infectious episodes (8%) occurred in 25 patients during a median follow-up time of 20 months. For 204 patients the follow-up time could be prolonged until September 1992. In these patients no infectious episodes occurred in the extended observation period. In 24 cases (85.7%) a causative organism could be isolated. The infecting organisms were gram-positive cocci in 22 cases (78.6%) and gram-negative bacilli in two cases. The main signs and symptoms were fev…

A four vertex theorem for strictly convex space curves

1993

Analysis of the effects of pulsed microwave on cardiac activity

1993

Abstract The exposure of isolated chick embryo hearts to 2.45 GHz pulse modulated microwaves has identified certain phenomena: (1) when the heartbeat was irregular, an appropriate pulse repetition rate caused regularization; (2) during regular beating, an increase of pulse repetition rate similarly increased the heartbeat frequency, until an irregular heartbeat appeared; (3) by applying microwaves, when an arrhythmia occurs, a regular beat appeared after a few seconds. Time correlation between the heartbeat and the modulating pulses revealed that regularization occurs when the modulation pulses, at a frequency close to the natural unperturbed heartbeat, were applied in the ventricular diast…

Mortality trends of different localizations of cancer in Spain (1951–87)

1993

Mineralogy and geochemistry of Mesozoic black shales and interbedded carbonates, southeastern Sicily: evaluation of diagenetic processes

1993

AbstractUpper Triassic/Lower Jurassic organic-rich shales and interbedded carbonates (Rhaetian → Sinemurian) are widespread in the subsurface of southeastern Sicily where important oil fields have been found hosted in Triassic reservoirs. Core samples from wells drilled offshore and onshore were studied from petrographie and geochemical viewpoints.In the Hettangian/Sinemurian shale-carbonate sequences, which accumulated in a rapidly subsiding basin, the micritic aragonitic mud is still largely preserved. Mixed-layer I/S has remained randomly interstratified to a depth > 4000 m. Diagenetic carbonates are non-stoichiometric finely crystalline, pore-filling dolomite and/or calcite. The carb…

Kinetics of expression of prion protein in uninfected and scrapie-infected N2a mouse neuroblastoma cells.

1993

The scrapie prion protein, PrPSc, is formed from its isoform, the cellular PrPc. There is evidence available indicating that PrPSc is necessary component of the infectious prion particle to cause a series of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. We have used immunocytochemistry and RNA blotting techniques to investigate if infection with prions results in an increased PrP gene expression. For the experiments we used N2a cells which had been infected with prions (ScN2a cells). We demonstrated by confocal laser scanning microscopy that PrP-protein was present in the nucleus (predominantly in the nucleoli) of ScN2a cells. Analysis of the PrP-mRNA levels both in N2a- and in ScN2a cells usi…

Mechanism of genotoxicity and electron density distribution by NMR of 5-nitro-3-thiophenecarboxamides, a novel group of direct-acting mutagens in Sal…

1993

Abstract The mutagenic activity of 23 5-nitro-3-thiophenecarboxanilides and of 5-nitro-3-thiophenecarboxamide, the prototype, (NTCAs) have been evaluated in the Ames test on Salmonella typhimurium strains TA100 ad TA98 with and without metabolic activation. Effects of different substituents (electron-donating and electron-withdrawing) were studied to evaluate structural features that affect the metabolism and the bacterial mutagenic potency. All the derivatives were direct-acting mutagens, the mutagenic potency ranging from 0.7 to 142 revertants (rev.)/nmol in TA100 and from 0.09 to 68 rev./nmol in TA98 strain. Results obtained with strains TA98NR and TA98/1,8-DNP 6 indicated that the mutag…

Microtubules and cell shaping in the mesophyll ofNigella damascena L.

1993

Cell shaping in the mesophyll ofNigella damascena was investigated with the aim of determining the origin of the arm-like protrusions, which are characteristic of, e.g., arm-palisade cells. It was found that hoops of cell wall were deposited during the early stages of cell expansion. The hoops were interconnected, thus embracing the cells with a wide-meshed net of local wall reinforcement. The pattern of wall deposition in the extra-cellular matrix correlated with a pattern of bands of microtubules in the cortical cytoplasm of the cells. During lateral expansion bulges were forced through the comparatively thin walls of spaces between the meshes, giving rise to the arm-like protrusions. Aft…

On the power of inductive inference from good examples

1993

Abstract The usual information in inductive inference available for the purposes of identifying an unknown recursive function f is the set of all input/output examples (x,f(x)),n eN. In contrast to this approach we show that it is considerably more powerful to work with finite sets of “good” examples even when these good examples are required to be effectively computable. The influence of the underlying numberings, with respect to which the identification has to be realized, to the capabilities of inference from good examples is also investigated. It turns out that nonstandard numberings can be much more powerful than Godel numberings.

Invisible width of the Z-boson and “secret” ν-ν interactions

1993

Abstract The width of the decay Z→ν ν ν ν in the presence of a possible nonstandard four-fermion ν-ν interaction is calculated. From the invisible width of the Z-boson measured at LEP the upper bound on the strength F of such an effective interaction has been obtained: F≲4×102GF. This bound is about three orders of magnitude lower than earlier existing particle physics bounds and it is comparable with an estimate that can be obtained from supernova neutrino data. The expression for the spectrum of leptons in the decays W→lν l ν ν is also presented.

Protracted juvenile neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis.

1993