A dynamical formalism for unrooted systems of rigid bodies

Summary This paper presents a general formalism for the dynamics ofunrooted systems (=systems without kinematical coupling to a Galilean frame). Starting point are Lagrange's equations in ordered form. A set of points, themain points — introduced by O. Fischer hundred years ago- and a fictious body, theaugmented generalized body, permit to separate the translation of the mass center from the motion in the other coordinates. The basic idea is to break up the virtual velocity of a particle into component velocities that can be readily expressed in algebraic form. This allows, after some tensor-algebraic manipulations, an elegant representation ofall inertia coefficents as a linear function ofone kind of tensor, namely thebasic kinetic tensor. Newglobal inertia tensors (GITs), a generalization of those introduced by M. Fayet, are defined. They allow to separate geometry from affine geometry. GITs of order zero are shown to be ageneralization of the reduced mass. A recursive method is presented for efficent formulation of GITs of order one and two. It is also briefly indicated how rooted systems can be interpreted as a special case of rooted ones. A new formula to compute generalized forces due to a nonhomogeneous Newtonian force field is proposed. Results for rooted trees are reviewed as far as they are necessary for the purposes of this paper. The whole method translates conveniently into efficent computer codes.     

Prevalence of antibodies against virus-like particles of Epidermodysplasia verruciformis-associated HPV8 in patients at risk of skin cancer

The dietary intake of saturated fatty acids affects arteriosclerosis. We studied the effect of supplementation (15% wt/wt) of a hyperlipemic diet (1.3% cholesterol) with evening primrose oil (Oenothera biennis) in four groups of 10 rabbits each. After 6 weeks the aortic endothelium was analyzed morphologically with scanning electron microscopy, and the arterial wall was studied with morphometric techniques and cell nucleus counts. Endothelial functioning was analyzed by measuring prostacyclin synthesis, and thrombogenicity of the subendothelium was studied by perfusion in a Baumgartner annular chamber. Evening primrose oil reduced hypercholesterolemia (from 29 +/- 3 to 12 +/- 2 nmol/l), increased HDL-cholesterol (from 0.5 +/- 0.06 to 0.8 +/- 0.09 nmol/l) and doubled prostacyclin synthesis (from 2.7 +/- 2 to 6.2 +/- 0.7 ng/mg aorta) in rabbits on the hyperlipemic diet, reduced subendothelial surface occupied by platelets (from 6.9 +/- 0.4 to 4.8 +/- 0.3%), and reduced human platelet adhesion on the subendothelium (from 53.3 +/- 6% to 38 +/- 8%, respect to total occupation). Morphological analyses showed that evening primrose oil diminished endothelial lesions caused by the atherogenic diet, reducing area of the arterial wall (from 6.9 +/- 0.2 to 4.7 +/- 0.2 microm2 x 10(6)) and the degree of neointimal proliferation (from 0.6 +/- 0.02 to 0.4 +/- 0.09 microm2 x 10(6)). We conclude that in our experimental model, this dietary supplement enhanced the antithrombotic capacity of the endothelium, reduced subendothelial thrombogenicity, and diminished the extent of vascular wall lesions caused by the hyperlipemic diet.     

Measurement of radial expansion and tumbling motion of a high-speed rotor using an optical sensor system

In order to investigate the load capacity and the strength properties of high-speed rotors, dynamic deformation and vibration measurements are of importance, in particular at lightweight composite devices which cannot be simulated reliably. This is a challenging task in metrology since non-contact inspection techniques are required which offer micron uncertainties and high temporal resolution simultaneously, also under vacuum conditions. In order to meet these requirements, a non-incremental laser Doppler distance sensor system was developed using fiber and diffractive optics. In this paper we present for the first time high-speed deformation measurements of a cylindrical steel rotor using this novel sensor system. The radial rotor expansion of only some microns was determined despite the presence of an unsteady tumbling motion of the rotor, which was measured simultaneously. Future prospects are discussed including the possibility to measure non-metallic devices such as fiber-reinforced composites.     

GIS-based regionalized life cycle assessment: how big is small enough? Methodology and case study of electricity generation

We describe a new methodology for performing regionalized life cycle assessment and systematically choosing the spatial scale of regionalized impact assessment methods. We extend standard matrix-based calculations to include matrices that describe the mapping from inventory to impact assessment spatial supports. Uncertainty in inventory spatial data is modeled using a discrete spatial distribution function, which in a case study is derived from empirical data. The minimization of global spatial autocorrelation is used to choose the optimal spatial scale of impact assessment methods. We demonstrate these techniques on electricity production in the United States, using regionalized impact assessment methods for air emissions and freshwater consumption. Case study results show important differences between site-generic and regionalized calculations, and provide specific guidance for future improvements of inventory data sets and impact assessment methods.     

Global cerebral ischemia in the rat: online monitoring of oxygen free radical production using chemiluminescence in vivo

Using online in vivo chemiluminescence (CL), we studied for the first time continuously the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) after global cerebral ischemia and the relationship of ROS production to CBF. In anesthetized rats equipped with a closed cranial window, the CL enhancer, lucigenin (1 mM), was superfused onto the brain topically. CL was measured through the cranial window with a cooled photomultiplier, and CBF was measured simultaneously with laser-Doppler flowmetry. Reperfusion after 10 min (n = 8) of global cerebral ischemia led to a CL peak to 188 +/- 77% (baseline = 100%) within 10 +/- 4 min. After 2 h of reperfusion, CL had returned to 102 +/- 28%. Reperfusion after 20 min (n = 8) of ischemia increased CL to 225 +/- 48% within 12 +/- 3 min. After 2 h, CL was still increased (150 +/- 44%, p < 0.05 compared with 10 min of ischemia). CL after 10 min of ischemia was neither affected by brain topical free CuZn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) (100 U/ml, n = 3) nor by i.v. administration of free CuZn-SOD (104 U/kg, followed by 104 U/kg/h, n = 3). The CBF hyperfusion peak on reperfusion preceded the CL peak in all experiments by several minutes. In additional in vitro experiments we investigated the source of CL: Intracellular loading of lucigenin was demonstrated in cultured CNS cells, and a very similar pattern of CL as in the in vivo preparation after ischemia developed in rat brain slices after 15 min of hypoxia, which was unaffected by free CuZn-SOD (100 U/ml) but strongly attenuated by liposome-entrapped CuZn-SOD. We conclude that lucigenin-enhanced CL is a promising tool to study ROS production continuously from the in vivo brain of experimental animals and brain slices, and that the CL signal most likely derives from the intracellular production of superoxide. The production of ROS is preceded by reperfusion, is burst-like, and is dependent on the duration of the ischemic interval.     

Upregulation of alpha GM-CSF-receptor in nonatopic asthma but not in atopic asthma

BACKGROUND: Intrinsic asthma is characterized by an increased number of activated eosinophils and macrophages and an increased expression of the hematopoietic growth factor granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in the bronchial mucosa. OBJECTIVE: This study was carried out to investigate the expression of alpha GM-CSF receptor (alpha GM-CSFr) messenger RNA and protein in the bronchial mucosa of patients with intrinsic or atopic asthma and of control subjects and to correlate the expression of alpha GM-CSFr to the number of EG2+ cells (eosinophils) and CD68+ cells (macrophages) and pulmonary function. METHODS: Nineteen patients with stable asthma (9 with atopic and 10 with intrinsic asthma) and 22 normal control subjects (12 atopic and 10 nonatopic subjects) were recruited, and FEV1 (percent predicted) and PC20 were measured before bronchoscopy. Endobronchial biopsy specimens were obtained and examined for membrane-bound alpha GM-CSFr by using in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry. RESULTS: alpha GM-CSFr mRNA- and protein-positive cells were identified in biopsy specimens from all four groups studied. There was no significant difference in the number of cells expressing alpha GM-CSFr mRNA and protein in patients with atopic asthma compared with atopic and nonatopic control subjects. However, the numbers of alpha GM-CSFr mRNA- and protein-positive cells were significantly higher in nonatopic patients with asthma compared with atopic patients with asthma and atopic and nonatopic control subjects (p < 0.001). In the patients with intrinsic asthma, the number of alpha GM-CSFr mRNA-positive cells per millimeter of basement membrane correlated with numbers of CD68+ cells (r2 = 0.87, p < 0.001) but not with EG2+ cells, and colocalization studies demonstrated that 80% of the cells expressing alpha GMCSFr mRNA were CD68+. The expression of GM-CSF was also significantly increased in patients with intrinsic asthma compared with those with atopic asthma and control subjects (p < 0.05). In addition, in intrinsic asthma, there was a correlation between alpha GM-CSFr mRNA and FEV1 (r2 = 0.61, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that elevated numbers of cells expressing alpha GM-CSFr can be detected in nonatopic asthma but not in atopic asthma and suggest that this increased expression is predominantly macrophage-associated and may play an important pathophysiologic role in intrinsic asthma.     

Chemical sympathectomy and two-way escape and avoidance learning in the rat.

Reports 6 studies with male hooded Wistar rats on the effects of 2,4,5-trihydroxyphenylethylamine (6-hydroxydopamine) on 2-way escape and avoidance learning. Ss were tested on either escape or avoidance learning at 80 days of age after chemical sympathectomy at birth or 40 or 80 days of age. Neonatal and chronic sympathectomy (at 40 days), but not acute sympathectomy (at 80 days), resulted in depressed escape learning. Avoidance learning was affected by neonatal sympathectomy and partially by acute sympathectomy. Results have implications for the role of the autonomic nervous system in escape-avoidance learning. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

High-dose edatrexate with oral leucovorin rescue: a phase I and clinical pharmacological study in adults with advanced cancer

Our objective was to determine the maximum tolerated dose and toxicity of i.v. edatrexate with p.o. leucovorin. Thirty-one adults with advanced solid tumors received edatrexate as a 2-h infusion, once a week for 3 weeks, recycled every 28 days. p.o. leucovorin (10 mg/m2, every 6 h for 10 doses) began 24 h later. All had urinary alkalinization and p.o. hydration. Nine dosage levels ranging from 120 to 3750 mg/m2 were explored. Fatigue, epistaxis, nausea/emesis, mucositis, rash, myalgias, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and transient elevations of serum aspartate transferase were observed. Leukoencephalopathy with clinical manifestations occurred in two patients (one had prior cranial irradiation). Pharmacokinetic studies carried out at the 120- and 1080-mg/m2 dose levels revealed no significant difference in the elimination half-life at the two dose levels studied and no significant intrapatient variability between day 1 and day 8 edatrexate administration. Serum edatrexate levels measured using a dihydrofolate reductase inhibition assay correlated with those by high-performance liquid chromatography. Three major and two minor antitumor responses occurred. The maximum tolerated dose was 3750 mg/m2, with grade 3 or 4 leukopenia (one patient), stomatitis (one patient), and leukoencephalopathy (one patient). Because of the occurrence of leukoencephalopathy, further study of high-dose edatrexate with leucovorin rescue is not recommended.