Acute mast cell leukemia disclosed by vasomotor flushing

INTRODUCTION: Acute mast cell leukemia is a rare and severe disease. We report herein a case associated with a flush syndrome. CASE REPORT: A 44-year-old man, presented with a flush of face and trunk. Bone marrow was infiltrated with immature mast cells. In spite of chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation the patient deceased. DISCUSSION: Pheochromocytoma, carcinoid tumor, and mastocytosis are associated with a flush syndrome. In our patient the diagnosis was an acute mast cell leukemia. Acute mast cell leukemia can follow systemic mastocytosis or occur de novo. This disease is of poor prognosis. No treatment is available.     

Tests of electric and electromagnetic methods in the travale geothermal field

Within the framework of an EEC project involving ten European laboratories, research on the application of several electric and electromagnetic methods to a geothermal field (Travale, Tuscany), has been undertaken by the B.R.G.M. The objective was to refine the conceptual model of the Travale field and, therefore, to describe the morphology of the basement (down to 2 km depth) and of the Rhaetian reservoir covered by impermeable series.The method best suited to this type of prospection appeared to be electrical dipole — dipole profiling, combined with a 2-D interpretation. Contrasts at more than 2 km depth (500 m long dipoles) could be seen and compared to the depths measured in the boreholes. The EM Melos method (Syscal equipment) should be improved (lower frequencies) to increase the depth penetration. It is, however, a good complementary method for the surface layers. An attempt at a computational interpretation of the self potential profiles gave promising results. To make full advantage of the bipole — dipole measurements efforts should be devoted to their computational interpretation.     

1.30μmDFB激光器组件的设计和制做及其工作原理

本文自行设计和制作了１．３０μｍＤＦＢ激光器组件的讨论了光隔离和光耦合原理。由于采用的激光器－光隔离器－光纤的一体化结构，大大增加了该组件的可用性。在实验中得到高达５５％的耦合效率。     

A Multicriteria Decision Support Methodology for Annual Rehabilitation Programs of Water Networks

Abstract:   This article provides an overview of a multicriteria decision support methodology for annual rehabilitation programs of water networks. A first set of criteria is formulated for the purpose of comparing and ranking rehabilitation projects. Each proposed criterion is a measure of a particular impact of the condition of a pipe. The ELECTRE TRI method is implemented for defining rehabilitation priorities . Two reference profiles are used to define the limits of three categories associated with three increasing priority levels. With these two reference profiles, applying the ELECTRE TRI method to an asset stock ( a set of pipes that are candidates for rehabilitation ) means assigning each pipe to one of six possible priority groups. A second set of criteria, based on the concept of efficiency, is proposed for comparing alternative rehabilitation programs ( subsets of the asset stock ).     

Operations standards for global ATM networks: network element view

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has completed work on a series of standards on asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) equipment functional operations and network element management. The objective of these standards is to enable flexible design and interoperability of network elements for use in a global ATM network, independent of any specific implementation. This article discusses these standards with respect to their development and application in planning ATM networks. Specifically, it addresses the following: the modeling approach taken in the development of the ITU standards, key operational features specified in the ATM network element functional model, and the capabilities of the ATM network element management interface. Examples of ATM equipment are provided to illustrate how the functional models specified in the ITU standards may be used by network planners and equipment manufacturers to specify and develop ATM equipment tailored to specific needs, while ensuring network interoperability. The article concludes with some points on the future enhancement of these and related ATM equipment operations standards     

流溪河灌区工程渠首枢纽计算机监控系统开发与研建

流溪河渠首枢纽计算机监控系统在自行开发的现场总线工业局域网及专用智能终端、冗余管理和故障诊断专家系统的硬件环境下，在分别由监控系统（含设备层与上位机在线监控系统）和管理系统（由离线管理与服务器上的查询服务系统组成）软件的支持下，实现了对枢纽工程3座水闸47孔闸门的运行和管理，具有自动监测、自动量水、自动控制及系统重构等功能．现已以每天24h不间断地运行了2年，顺利地完成了枢纽工程的调洪、调水等日常调度与运行工作．     

Natural and induced tolerance in an immune network model

It has been proposed that the immune system can be partitioned into central and peripheral immune systems. Recently, Carneiro et al. (1996a, b) proposed a network, model incorporating B and T lymphocytes that explicitly accounts for that partition. This model however, had some limitations that are tackled here. Two main changes were introduced: the average idiotypic connectivity is now an explicit function of time based on empirical evidence; and the activation of T lymphocytes by antigen is described by a log-bell shaped dose response curve. The new model, which also accounts for the CIS and PIS distinction, shows more reasonable results since the frequencies of tolerant, immune or autoimmune responses to an antigen are now correct. The model provides a new interpretation for tolerance induction during the neonatal period, and for the adult tolerance by low or high doses of antigen. It predicts that natural tolerance for antigens available during the neonatal period can be kept indefinitely upon their removal, while tolerance induced in the adult stages is rapidly lost upon transient removal of the antigen. A semiquantitative analysis of the model provides a simple explanation for the different results in terms of the frequency at which a limited set of canonical connectivity structures emerge during ontogenesis.     

Synergistic decrease of clonal proliferation, induction of differentiation, and apoptosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia cells after combined treatment with novel 20-epi vitamin D3 analogs and 9-cis retinoic acid

Patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) usually relapse after all-trans retinoic acid (RA) treatment because this therapy fails to eradicate the malignant clone. Our data showed that KH 1060 and other 20-epi vitamin D3 analogs alone were potent inhibitors of clonal growth of NB4 cells, an APL cell line (ED50, approximately 5 x 10(-11) M). The combination of KH 1060 and 9-cis-RA synergistically and irreversibly enhanced this effect. Neither KH 1060 nor 9-cis-RA (10(-6) M, 3 d) were strong inducers of differentiation of NB4 cells. However, 98% of the cells underwent differentiation to a mature phenotype with features of both granulocytes and monocytes after exposure to a combination of both compounds. Apoptosis only increased after incubation of NB4 cells with 9-cis-RA alone (28%) or with a combination of 9-cis-RA plus KH1060 (32%). Immunohistochemistry showed that the bcl-2 protein decreased from nearly 100% of the wild-type NB4 cells to 2% after incubation with a combination of KH 1060 and 9-cis-RA, and the bax protein increased from 50% of wild-type NB4 cells to 92% after culture with both analogs (5 x 10(-7) M, 3 d). Western blot analysis paralleled these results. Studies of APL cells from one untreated individual paralleled our results with NB4 cells. Taken together, the data demonstrated that nearly all of the NB4 cells can be irreversibly induced to differentiate terminally when exposed to the combination of KH 1060 and 9-cis-RA.