Problem solving strategies with biomedical and clinimetric components: The case of perioperative H1-+H2-prophylaxis

1992

A formal (objective) problem solving strategy was developed for the question whether a perioperative histamine H1-+H2-prophylaxis should be applied to patients at risk for a histamine release reaction or for a special severity of such a reaction even in the case of a minor histamine release.

Antibodies to Cathepsin G in Crohn's disease

1992

. Antibodies directed against antigens in human neutrophils have proved to be of great diagnostic value in certain systemic vasculitides. Recent reports have focused the attention on these antigens as targets of antibodies in sera of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We investigated the sera drawn from 60 patients suffering from biopsy proven Crohn's disease and 15 patients with active ulcerative colitis. Using sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays with purified antigens and Western blotting the following antibodies could be demonstrated: cathepsin G (cat-G) antibodies IgG 38.3%, IgM 13.3%, IgA 23.3% and antibodies against human leucocyte elastase (HLE) IgG, IgA, IgM 3.3%. Lo…

Immunohistological and immunoelectron microscopic identification of TNF alpha in normal human and murine epidermis.

1992

The presence, distribution and cellular localization of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) were investigated in normal human and murine epidermis using immunohistological and immunoelectron microscopic methods with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. The immunostaining revealed an intercellular plasma membrane and cytoplasmic labelling of the epidermal keratinocytes, but no labelling of Langerhans cells, melanocytes and Merkel cells. Large amounts of TNF alpha were regularly found in the sebaceous glands. These findings demonstrate that epidermal keratinocytes and especially sebocytes produce and release TNF alpha and that this keratinocyte-derived cytokine may be important for the …

Measurement of Lymphocyte Proliferation: Critical Analysis of Radioactive and Photometric Methods

1992

Different methods of lymphocyte proliferation are compared to identify a non-radioactive alternative to 3H-thymidine-test. The enzymatic assays evaluating the turnover of mitochondrial dehydrogenases (MTT-test) and lysosomal hexosaminidase (NAG-test) proved not sensitive enough to substitute for 3H-thymidine incorporation. The incorporation of the nucleotide analog 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) can be exploited using an ELISA-system (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) employing a monoclonal anti-BrdU antibody to measure cell proliferation. An optimized test protocol of the BrdU-ELISA which fulfills the requirements for a sensitive and practicable non-radioactive alternative to 3H-thymidine-tes…

High-dose folinic acid and 5-fluorouracil plus cisplatin on a weekly schedule in the treatment of advanced cancer of the head and neck

1992

A group of 60 patients with advanced head/neck cancer were treated with high-dose folinic acid (500 mg/m-2/week-1) plus 5-fluorouracil (400 mg/m-2/week-1 on day 1, and cisplatin (20 mg/m-2/week-1) 24 h after folinic acid infusion was completed. Out of 55 evaluable patients, 10 patients (18%) experienced a complete response with a mean duration of 11.4+ months, 25 patients had a partial response (45%) of 6.7+ months, 6 patients (11%) showed a stabilization of 4.8+ months, and 14 (25%) progressed. The overall response rate was 63.6% (95% confidence limits 56.5%-69.5%). Patients pretreated with radiotherapy had a 67% overall response rate, while those pretreated with chemotherapy showed a 54% …

Sesquiterpene lactones from Picris echioides

1992

Abstract The aerial parts of Picris echioides yielded the new germacranolide 3β-hydroxybalchanolide and the known guaianolides hieracin I, hieracin II, 8-deoxylactucin, jacquilenin and 11 -epijacquilenin.

The spin of the nucleon in deep inelastic lepton scattering experiments

1992

The current experimental status of the spin dependent structure functions as measured in polarized deep inelastic scattering of charged leptons from nucleons is reviewed. The proposals for new experiments at CERN, SLAC and HERA are discussed with special emphasis on the experiment of the Spin Muon collaboration at CERN which has started data taking.

Echocardiographic and angiographic evaluation of left ventricular function during percutaneous transluminal aortic valvuloplasty.

1992

Transesophageal echocardiography was used to study the effect of the balloon inflation on left ventricular function in 20 patients with critical aortic stenosis undergoing balloon valvuloplasty. Balloon inflation caused an increase of end-diastolic (15% to 34%) and end-systolic (57% to 72%) left ventricular volume. Left ventricular wall stress increased from 30 +/- 10 x 10(3) dyn/cm2 at diastole and 121 +/- 40 x 10(3) dyn/cm2 at systole to 44 +/- 11 x 10(3) dyn/cm2 and 191 +/- 55 x 10(3) dyn/cm2, respectively, when the balloon was inflated (P less than 0.05). Turbulent regurgitant jet across the mitral valve increased from 15 +/- 2% to 25 +/- 3% during balloon inflation (P less than 0.01). …

Experiments on optical fiber interferometers and laser modes

1992

Three experiments on optical fiber interferometers, suitable for a teaching laboratory, are described. The guiding characteristics of single mode optical fibers enable simple interferometry experiments with large path differences to be carried out easily. These experiments show that the fringe visibility exhibits a periodic dependence on the path difference when using a multilongitudinal mode HeNe laser. A simple model can be used to explain this dependence in terms of the mode spectrum of the laser.

Interkostalarterien-Embolisation nach Thoraxtrauma

1992

A non-linear version of Hunt-Lion's theorem from the point of view of T-accretivity

1992

In the classical topological context, Dellacherie [10] has given a non-linear version of Hunt's theorem characterizing the proper kernels verifying the complete maximum principle as those closing a submarkovian resolvent. In this paper we study the relation between this non-linear version of Hunt's theorem and T-accretivity.

Neutron diffraction study of the heavy fermion superconductors UM2Al3(M=Pd, Ni)

1992

An elastic neutron scattering study was performed on the new superconducting heavy fermion systems UPd2Al3 and UNi2Al3. The neutron diffraction patterns reveal unambiguously long range antiferromagnetic order in UPd2Al3 with an ordered magnetic momentμ U = (0.85±0.03)μ B , which coexists with the superconducting state. This is by far the largestμ U value observed for any heavy fermion superconductor. For UNi2Al3, no long-range magnetic order could be observed for temperaturesT≧1.5 K, yielding an upper limit of the ordered moment of 0.2μ B .

About two equivalent descriptions of quark antisymmetrization

1992

We analyze the wave function for a two-hadron system when the quark symmetrization principle is incorporated. Two alternative mathematical descriptions are considered. The representation method of Hund constructs a system of generators of thesinglet⊗singlet type. The method of Young-Froebenius incorporates hidden-color components in order to describe the representation basis. By taking a naive model we show that the two descriptions, are equivalent and thus no physical meaning should be attached to their mathematical differences. The results of our analysis are then applied to the more realisticN-N (deuteron) system. We end by discussing the structure of the Pauli correlations which we comp…

XPS study of pumice-supported palladium and platinum catalysts

1992

An XPS study has been performed on samples of monometallic of palladium and platinum and on bimetallic Pd-Pt catalysts supported on pumice. A negative shift of about 0.5 eV in the Pd 3d and Pt 4f binding energies of the catalysis relative to the energies of the same levels in the pure metals suggested an increase in the electron density in both metals. A quantitative XPS analysis indicated that the supported metals did not modify the surface atomic composition of pumice

Existentially closed locally cofinite groups

1992

Let be a class of finite groups. Then a c-group shall be a topological group which has a fundamental system of open neighbourhoods of the identity consisting of normal subgroups with -factor groups and trivial intersection. In this note we study groups which are existentially closed (e.c.) with respect to the class Lc of all direct limits of c-groups (where satisfies certain closure properties). We show that the so-called locally closed normal subgroups of an e.c. Lc-group are totally ordered via inclusion. Moreover it turns out that every ∀2-sentence, which is true for countable e.c. L-groups, also holds for e.c. Lc-groups. This allows it to transfer many known properties from e.c. L-group…

Life‐styles in personality development

1992

The concept of life‐style was introduced as an integrative concept for the individual's personality characteristics, life attitudes, and everyday activities. Antisocial (AL) and socially adaptable (SAL) life‐styles were analysed based on the Jyväskylä Longitudinal data. The original sample consisted of 196 boys and 173 girls aged 8 years; 87 percent of them were followed up to the age of 26. Male life‐styles defined at age 26 by illicit behaviour and career orientation were compared and their developmental prerequisites at ages 8 and 14 were examined. The results showed that (1) dispositional, cognitive, and behavioural approaches to personality could be linked for the analysis of individua…

HLADR5 and C4BQ0 high frequency and antinuclear antibodies positivity in patients with 21 hydroxylase deficiency from Campania region

1992

HLA haplotypes, complement C4 factor and factor B immonochemical concentrations and autoantibodies titer have been studied in six patients with mild congenital adrenal hyperplasia (MC-AH), in two patients with classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CCAH) and in their parents. A high frequency of DR5 and C4BQO alleles have been found in MCAH patients. Moreover, C4BQO allele is carried out in three out of four cases associated with DR5. In the two CCAH patients we found a B51 and a B14 allele, the last one usually described in the non classical form of the disease in population of different ethnic origin. Signs of autoimmunity in some patients and parents have been found. C4 null alleles w…

Strong-coupling expansion for the anharomonic oscillators −d2/dx 2+x 2+λx 2N

1992

A perturbation expansion based on a modified and scaled harmonic oscillator combined with Pade extrapolation techniques has been used to determine the expansion of the ground-state energy in fractional and negative powers of the coupling constant, valid for large values of λ.

Diagram technique for nonorthogonal electron group functions. II. Reduced density matrices and total energy

1992

In part I, both the arrow diagram (AD) and expanded AD decompositions of the antisymmetrization operator A for an N‐electron system with wave function represented by the product of mutually nonorthogonal group functions have been considered. Based on them, new diagrams for decompositions of normalization and overlap integrals, reduced density matrices, as well as for total electronic energy of the system are proposed and discussed in detail in the present part. The rules for evaluation of the contribution of each diagram in the form of an analytical expression are obtained. Both the strong and p‐orthogonality approximations are discussed.

MR-Tomographie bei Innenbandverletzungen des Kniegelenkes

1992

Frequency and characteristics of lesions of the medial collateral ligaments (MCL) were studied by MRI in 155 patients with trauma to the knee. There were abnormalities of the MCL in 38% of cases with ligamentous injuries and in 27% these were combined with meniscal tears. 11% of these patients showed isolated rupture of MCL and as a result of the MRI findings were treated conservatively. By means of T2*-weighted images the individual lesions could be accurately localised. Characteristic findings have been defined.

Modulation of type II collagen-induced arthritis in DBA/1 mice by intravenous application of a peptide from the C1q-A chain.

1992

In this report we are able to show that intravenous (i.v.) application (day 0) of a nonapeptide (residues 26-34) from the human C1q A-chain (designated peptide A-C1q) prior to intradermal (i.d.) administration of chicken type II collagen (CII) in arthritis-susceptible DBA/1 mice (H2q), leads to abrogation of polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) invasion into the joints. This nonapeptide exhibits epitope characteristics and high homology to residues 137-147 of CB11 (a cyanogen bromide fragment of chicken CII, known to contain both arthritis inducing and suppressing determinants). Arthritis index was lowest in animals pretreated i.v. with CII (as internal control), though animals pretreated i.v…

Synthesis and reactivity of β-amino-α,β-unsaturated oxa- and thiazolines

1992

Abstract A simple and efficient route to masked β-amino-α,β-unsaturated acids 3 by reaction of metalated oxa- and thiazolines with nitriles has been developed. The reactivity of 3 has also been explored.

Crystal structure and mössbauer spectroscopy studies of the ferrimagnetic complex bimetallic salt hexaamminechromium (III) hexachloroferrate (III), […

1992

The crystal and molecular structures of the ferrimagnetic bimetallic complex salt hexaamminechromium(III) hexachloroferrate(III), [Cr(NH3)6][FeCl6], have been determined from single-crystal, three-dimensional x-ray diffraction counter data. The compound crystallizes as orange coloured crystals in the space groupC2/c of the monoclinic system with Z=4 and has cell dimensionsa=11.325(1) A,b=11.387(1) A,c=11.233(1) A, and β=90.83(1)A. The structure was refined by using segmented block diagonal least-squares techniques to discrepancy indices R and Rw of 0.0233 and 0.0285, respectively. The metal ions occupy sites with symmetry $$\bar 1$$ and are nearly octahedrally coordinated. In the [FeCl6]3− …

Synthesis and characterization of biotinylated and photoactivatable neuroleptics. Novel bifunctional probes for dopamine receptors

1992

Abstract We have synthesized and characterized a series of novel derivatives of established antagonists of the neurotransmitter dopamine, i.e. butyrophenones, hexahydrocarbolines and phenothiazenes. All derivatives were biotinylated, some of them carried an additional (photoactivatable) azido group. In the case of butyrophenones, the structural modifications were introduced at the aliphatic keto group and/or the heterocyclic ring system, both modifications resulting in significant decreases in binding affinity to dopamine D 2 and dopamine D 1 receptor subtypes. Biotinylation of hexahydrocarbolines significantly increased their binding affinity to D 1 receptors, with the affinity for D 2 rec…

The phase diagram and the magnetic structure of nuclear spins in elemental copper below 60 nK

1992

Abstract The phase diagram for nuclear magnetic order is elemental copper and the corresponding ordering vectors were investigated by neutron diffraction at nanokelvin temperatures. The intermediate phase is characterized by an ordering vector (O 2 3 2/3 . This is the first time that this type of order is observed in an fcc antiferromagnet.

Many body modes of antiproton annihilation tested with antiproton production

1992

We study the inclusive (y,¯ p) and (p,p) reactions in nuclei and check the sensitivity to the¯p annihilation mechanisms. We find that including the many body annihilation mechanisms in nuclei reduces appreciably the cross section of these reactions with respect to the evaluation considering only the one body mechanism of¯p annihilation. This shows that the¯p production reactions are more sensitive to¯p annihilation than the direct¯p annihilation reactions and makes the production experiments very useful tools to investigate the complex mechanisms of¯p annihilation in nuclei.

Electron-microscopy studies of pure and doped electrooptic PLZT ceramics

1992

Abstract Data on chemical composition and spatial fluctuations thereof as well as fracture mode behaviour of pure and doped PLZT ceramics have been obtained.

The stoichiometry of blue vanadium doped zircon obtained by sol-gel methods

1992

Abstract In this study, Sol-Gel processes in aqueous solution were used to investigate the stoichiometry of the V/1bZrSiO 4 solid solutions achieved by this method. Compositions with a formal stoichiometric defect in: (a) ZrO 2 ([ZrO 2 ] 1−2x [SiO 2 ] [V 2 O 5 ] x ), and (b) in SiO 2 ([ZrO 2 ] [SiO 2 ] 1−2x [V 2 O 5 ] x ), x=0.02, 0.04, 0.05 and 0.10 have been prepared. X Ray Diffraction analyses in fired samples (1200°/3 days) showed that cristobalite and monoclinic zirconia appear as residual crystalline phase in (a) and (b) compositions respectively, except in sample (a) with x=0.02 in which no residual phase was detected and therefore is considered stoichiometric. This sample and sample…

Functional response of suspension feeding anuran larvae to different particle sizes at low concentrations (Amphibia)

1992

The influence of particle size, initial particle concentration and larval stage on the ingestion rate, ‘retention efficiency’, and filtering rate of anuran larvae with varying filter apparatus anatomy and different life histories was investigated for four species. Larvae of premetamorphic Stages 28 and 32 and prometamorphic Stage 40 were selected for filtering experiments on the basis of their different growth rates. Three different sizes of silica gel particles were offered as mock food. Particle concentration was measured photometrically. The Michaelis-Menten model was used to describe the dependency of ingestion rate, filtering rate, and ‘retention efficiency’ upon initial particle conce…

Endoscopic enhancement of the healing of high-risk colon anastomoses by low-power helium-neon laser. An experimental study.

1992

Recent studies suggest that helium-neon (He-Ne) lasers at low energy can enhance wound healing in intestinal anastomoses. In this experimental study, we tested the strength and collagen concentration of high-risk anastomoses of the rat colon after endoscopic irradiation by helium-neon laser. Our results show that repeated helium-neon laser irradiation (1.9 J/cm 2)increases the bursting strength of the anastomoses by almost 100% on the fourth postoperative day. This effect is not observed by increasing the radiation dose (6.4 J/cm 2).Differences in collagen (hydroxyproline) concentration did not reach statistical significance.

Potentiometric study of the formation of hydroxo complexes of [Cu(terpy)]2+. Synthesis and crystal structure of [Cu(terpy) (H2O)](CF3SO3)2

1992

Two complexes of formula [Cu(terpy)(H2O)](CF3SO3)2 (1) and [Cu(terpy)(OH)]BPh4 (2) (terpy=2,2′∶6′,2″-terpyridine and BPh4=tetraphenylborate anion) have been synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic techniques. The x-ray crystal structure of (1) has been determined by x-ray diffraction. The structure is made up of [Cu(terpy)(H2O)]2+ mononuclear cations plus semi-coordinated CF3SO3 − anions. The coordination geometry around the copper atom is approximately elongated tetragonal octahedral. The oxygen atom of water and the three nitrogen atoms of terpy occupy the equatorial sites whereas the apical ones are filled by trifluoromethanesulphonate oxygen atoms. The formation of hydroxo comple…

Donor-acceptor substituted polyenes : orientation in mono- and multilayers

1992

Large molecules containing different chemical units whose interactions within the molecule result in new macroscopically observable effects, have become increasingly important.The organization of molecules of this type in ordered structures leads to functional molecular materials.Their use in molecular electronics requires that the units exhibit specific electronic properties. Recently, we reported on the intramolecular energy transfer through terminally substituted conjugated polyenes. An intramolecular electron transfer within donor-acceptor substituted polyenes can be achieved by introducing suitable terminal groups.

Adhesion of 8701-BC breast cancer cells to type V collagen and 67 kDa receptor

1992

Ductal infiltration carcinomas (d.i.c.) of the breast are potentially highly metastatic tumours, associated with drastic alterations of the architecture and molecular composition of the extracellular matrix at the tumour-host interface. 8701-BC, a recently characterized cell line, isolated from primary d.i.c., was used to study different aspects of tumor cell-substratum interactions. Since type V collagen deposition is augmented in d.i.c. we have examined the ability of 8701-BC cells to interact with this collagen species. We have found that cell binding to type V collagen was mediated by protein homologous to the 67 kDa laminin receptor (67-R). This conclusion is substantiated by the follo…

Four- and five-phase peridotites from a continental rift system: evidence for upper mantle uplift and cooling at the Ross Sea margin (Antarctica)

1992

Upper mantle plagioclase+spinel- and spinel-peridotite xenoliths occur in basanitic and tephritic lavas of the 2.7 my to Recent Mt. Melbourne Volcanic Field (Antarctica). This field belongs to the Cenozoic McMurdo volcanic group which is located between the deep western trough of the Ross Sea rift system and the uplifted rift shoulder of the Transantarctic Mountains. Our samples cover the transition zone between rift and shoulder. We examined texture and composition of plagioclase+spinel and normal spinel peridotites and determined temperatures and pressures of formation using the internally consistent Ca-ol/cpx and 2px-thermobarometer of Kohler and Brey (1990) and Brey and Kohler (1990). D…

Covariance between components of biaxial stress state in fatigue life calculations

1992

In this paper influence of correlalions between components of random stress tensor on the calculated fatigue life of the machine element has been analysed. Two groups of covariance matrices for components of biaxial stress state were considered. The first group was arbitrarily assumed and the second one was determined on the basis of the measured strains in the element of the vibrating screen for aggregate. Computer simulation was realized with four criteria of multiaxial random fatigue. Cycles were counted with the method of rain flow and damages were cumulated according to Palmgren-Miner hypothesis. It has been shown that covariances between components of stress state tensor strongly infl…

Histamine release during induction of anaesthesia and preparation for operation in patients undergoing general surgery: Incidence and clinically seve…

1992

Histamine release events were shown in a prospective randomized controlled trial in patients undergoing elective general surgery with an extraordinarily high incidence: 73 per cent. This high incidence was explained by several factors: — the sample size which was much greater than in previous studies — the improved plasma histamine assay — the precise definition of histamine release in clinical conditions and its measurement at the top of Bateman functions — the standardized induction of anaesthesia and preparation of the surgical patient — and finally the considerable number of cancer patients since more than 60% of the reactions >5 ng/ml occurred in this group which comprised only 20% of …