Steroid-responsive encephalomyelitis in childhood

The syndrome of parainfectious encephalomyelitis evolves from an antecedent infection. Several etiologic agents have been associated with this complication, although the pathogenesis in each instance may prove to be more uniform. Considerable evidence suggests that the syndrome is mediated immunologically. The seven cases reported here were clinically similar, although the infectious etiologies were diverse. Leptospirosis antedated the neurologic syndrome in two cases, and a "viral" illness preceded the other five cases. The evolution of the syndrome was slowly progressive in each case, and six patients had prominent involvement of rhombencephalic structures. The progressive course was reversed rapidly with eventual full recovery in each instance after initiation of corticosteroid therapy. Our experience with these cases coupled with a review of the literature suggests that corticosteroid therapy should be considered in the subacute or chronic cases of parainfectious encephalomyelitis.     

Micromechanics of solvent crazes in polystyrene

Double exposure holographic interferometry (DEHI) is used to determine the strain energy release rate, craze opening displacement profile, and craze stress profile ofn-heptane and methanol crazes growing from cracks in polystyrene.n-heptane crazes have strain energy release rates (SERRs) close to those of cracks and their stress profile is almost crack-like in that the tensile stress across the craze falls almost to zero. On the other hand, the SERRs of methanol crazes are only 30 to 55% the SERR of a crack depending on stress intensity factorK _I of the precrack from which they are grown. The stress profile of the methanol craze shows it to be strongly load-bearing away from the craze tip, apparently as a result of the strain hardening of the craze fibrils. The stress concentration in front of the methanol craze tip is only 40% of that in front of then-heptane craze tip. The opening displacements of the methanol craze are almost as large as those of a crack very near its tip but are much less than those of a crack at large distances behind the tip. The Dugdale model of a strip yielding zone provides a poor representation of the craze opening displacements of the growing methanol craze. Dry (static) methanol crazes have larger opening displacements in response to an incremental tensile strain at moderate prestrains than at either low or high prestrains, suggesting that the craze fibrils undergo a yielding/strain-hardening process as the strain is increased similar to that observed in polycarbonate crazes by Kopp and Kambour. Dryn-heptane crazes do not show this response but rather open linearly with increasing prestrain. The opening displacement for long (dry)n-heptane crazes is almost crack-like whereas the largest opening of a dry methanol craze is only 20% of that of a crack. Dry methanol crazes break at aK _IC that is 40% of theK _IC of precracked but uncrazed specimens. The strongest (shortest) dryn-heptane crazes fail at only 7% ofK _IC of uncrazed specimens and theK _IC of the dryn-heptane crazes decreases markedly with increasing craze length.     

为．NET应用程序实现一个类似Word的对象模型

所有的Microsoft Office应用程序都构建在支持自动化的对象模型之上。任何开发人员都能够使用对象模型来驱动应用程序UI以及添加、编辑和删除内容，就像一个真正的用户在与应用程序交互。丰富对象模型结合自动化支持使Office应用程序真正成为可扩展和可插接的。为了扩展Microsoft Word的行为而满足每个人自身的需要，任何人都能够在很短的时间里编写出一个强大的外接程序。作为优秀的面向对象开发人员，我们使用丰富的结构和优秀合理的对象模型（遵循模型一视图一控制器设计模式（MVC）来开发自己的应用程序。     

Multi-scale mechanistic modelling of the host defence in invasive aspergillosis reveals leucocyte activation and iron acquisition as drivers of infection outcome

Aspergillus species are ubiquitous environmental moulds, with spores inhaled daily by most humans. Immunocompromised hosts can develop an invasive infection resulting in high mortality. There is, therefore, a pressing need for host-centric therapeutics for this infection. To address it, we created a multi-scale computational model of the infection, focused on its interaction with the innate immune system and iron, a critical nutrient for the pathogen. The model, parameterized using published data, was found to recapitulate a wide range of biological features and was experimentally validated in vivo. Conidial swelling was identified as critical in fungal strains with high growth, whereas the siderophore secretion rate seems to be an essential prerequisite for the establishment of the infection in low-growth strains. In immunocompetent hosts, high growth, high swelling probability and impaired leucocyte activation lead to a high conidial germination rate. Similarly, in neutropenic hosts, high fungal growth was achieved through synergy between high growth rate, high swelling probability, slow leucocyte activation and high siderophore secretion. In summary, the model reveals a small set of parameters related to fungal growth, iron acquisition and leucocyte activation as critical determinants of the fate of the infection.     

An examination of land use change due to irrigated agriculture in north‐eastern Jordan using geoinformatics

The Jordanian government has encouraged irrigated agriculture since the early 1990s by providing low cost loans to drill private wells. The impacts of this practice on land use change were examined within a small (362 km²) area of the Jordanian Badia using Geoinformatics. Aerial photographs, SPOT and Landsat TM imageries were used, in a GIS environment, to map and examine changes in the farming patterns since 1990. Field surveys and questionnaires were used to ground truth the remotely sensed data. The results indicate that the cultivated area has increased from just 28.5 ha in 1990 to over 1000 ha in 2000 and that the number of farms has increased from 2 to 32 over the same time period. Furthermore, farm locations are moved annually restricted by the position of the well and land availability; this also causes land use change.     

Fluorimetric Nerve Gas Sensing Based on Pyrene Imines Incorporated into Films and Sub‐Micrometer Fibers

The chemical sensing of nerve gas agents has become an increasingly important goal due to the 1995 terrorist attack in a Tokyo subway as well as national security concerns in regard to world affairs. Chemical detection needs to be sensitive and selective while being facile, portable, and timely. In this paper, a sensing approach using a pyrene imine molecule is presented that is fluorimetric in response. The detection of a chloro‐Sarin surrogate is measured at 5 ppmv in less than 1 second and is highly selective towards halogenated organophosphates. The pyrene imine molecule is incorporated into polystyrene films as well as micrometer and sub‐micrometer fibers. Using both a direct drawing approach and electrospinning, micrometer and nanofibers can be easily manufactured. Applications for functional sensing micrometer and nanofibers are envisioned for optical devices and photonics in addition to solution and airflow sensing devices.     

Evolution of the arthropod prophenoloxidase/hexamerin protein family

PURPOSE: Because intraperitoneal (i.p.) therapy may provide a therapeutic advantage and because hyperthermia enhances carboplatin (CBDCA) cytotoxicity, we evaluated the feasibility, toxicity, and pharmacokinetics of CBDCA given via continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion (CHPP) in patients with small-volume residual ovarian cancer. Patients and METHODS: Six patients underwent optimal cytoreductive procedures (residual disease < or =5 mm) as initial treatment of stages II and III epithelial ovarian adenocarcinoma. All patients received a 90-min CHPP at a CBDCA dose of 800-1200 mg/m2, with the perfusate being recirculated rapidly from a reservoir through a heat exchanger, resulting in i.p. temperatures of 41-43 degrees C. Plasma, perfusate, and urine samples were collected and platinum was quantified by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. RESULTS: At no time did any patient's core temperature exceed 40 degrees C. Peak perfusate platinum concentrations were 8- to 15-fold higher than peak ultrafilterable plasma concentrations. The permeability-area product was extremely high and variable (14-90 ml/min), resulting in a regional advantage of 1.9-5.3. The percentage of the dose absorbed ranged widely from 27% to 77%. Dose-limiting hematologic toxicity was observed at a dose of 1200 mg/m2 and this was associated with a CBDCA AUC in plasma of 11 mg min ml(-1). CONCLUSION: CHPP with CBDCA was safely given to three patients at a dose of 800 mg/m2, and dose-limiting hematologic toxicities observed at 1200 mg/m2, correlated with the plasma CBDCA exposure established when lower doses of CBDCA are given systemically. The pharmacokinetic data are consistent with the expected effect of vigorous mixing on the exposed peritoneal surface area. Variable drug absorption and clearance make the prediction of systemic exposure highly uncertain. These findings may have important implications for novel therapies given i.p.     

输电线路自适应无通道保护(一)故障分析与保护原理

在故障分析的基础上，提出了利用单端故障信息的输电线路全线速动保护原理和动作判据。保护原理由互为补充的两种动作模式－－延时动作模式和瞬时动作模式构成。延时模式利用线路对端开关动作信息加速本端保护动作；瞬时模式根据阻抗继电器Ⅱ段动作定值瞬时动作跳闸，再利用重合闸并根据开关动作后的信息纠正错误动作的结果。保护动作判据由4个独立的故障序分量的比值构成，仿真实验证实了所提保护原理和动作判据的正确性。