Mass-sensitive detection of gas-phase volatile organics using disk microresonators

The detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the gas phase by mass-sensitive disk microresonators is reported. The disk resonators were fabricated using a CMOS-compatible silicon micromachining process and subsequently placed in an amplifying feedback loop to sustain oscillation. Sensing of benzene, toluene, and xylene was conducted after applying controlled coatings of an analyte-absorbing polymer. An analytical model of the resonator's chemical sensing performance was developed and verified by the experimental data. Limits of detection for the analytes tested were obtained, modeled, and compared to values obtained from other mass-sensitive resonant gas sensors.     

The association between cigarette smoking and selected HIV-related medical conditions

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the effect of cigarette smoking on the development of conditions associated with HIV infection. DESIGN: Prospective and retrospective cohort study, with interview and examination twice a year since 1988. METHODS: Data on 516 HIV-infected men from cohorts of homosexual and bisexual men in San Francisco, Denver and Chicago, who were repeatedly interviewed and examined between 1988 and 1992, were analysed. After excluding men who did not have well-defined dates of seroconversion and those who were classified as ex- or intermittent smokers, 232 men remained for analysis: 106 were smokers and 126 were non-smokers. Univariate and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were performed to assess the relationship between cigarette smoking and loss of CD4+ T-lymphocytes, diagnosis of any AIDS-defining illness, and specific diagnosis of Kaposi's sarcoma, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), oral candidiasis, hairy leukoplakia, and community-acquired pneumonia. RESULTS: By univariate analyses, cigarette smoking was not associated with clinical AIDS, loss of CD4+ cells, Kaposi's sarcoma or PCP, but was significantly associated with oral candidiasis [relative risk (RR), 1.32; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02-1.70], hairy leukoplakia (RR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.15-1.99), and community-acquired pneumonia (RR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.30-5.27). Dose-response effect was also evident for these three conditions (all P < 0.01). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated no association between cigarette smoking and time of progression to clinical AIDS, Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), or PCP (P = 0.62, 0.54 and 0.11, respectively) but showed that cigarette smokers developed oral candidiasis, hairy leukoplakia, and pneumonia more quickly than non-smokers (P = 0.031, 0.006 and 0.009, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Cigarette smoking was not associated with an increased likelihood or rate of developing KS, PCP or AIDS, but was associated with developing community-acquired pneumonia, oral candidiasis, and hairy leukoplakia in these HIV-infected men.     

Diversity Enhancement of Coded Spread Spectrum Video Watermarking

This paper analyses the effect of signal combination techniques in videowatermark detection. A spatial spread spectrum based watermarking techique isused as embedding method, in combination with common error correction codes(BCH, Reed-Solomon with multilevel signaling, binary convolutional codes withViterbi decoding). Besides an analytical evaluation of the bit error rate, theeffectiveness of the channel coding and diversity techniques is also assessedexperimentally under MPEG-2 video compression.     

Unusual nasal foreign body detected on routine dental radiography: case report

This report describes an unusual nasal foreign body in a 4-year-old boy discovered incidentally in a routine dental radiograph. A small piece of rubber eraser was lodged in the right nasal cavity, causing unilateral nasal obstruction and discharge, sneezing, snoring and breathing difficulty. In this case, discovery of unknown intranasal object was diagnostic for a condition suspected of pathological origin. Dentists may play a significant role in the diagnosis of intranasal foreign objects in children, through careful clinical examination and interpretation of dental radiographs. Early diagnosis is emphasized in order to avoid complications.     

Marchantinquinone, isolated from Reboulia hemisphaerica, as inhibitor of lipid peroxidation and as free radical scavenger

Recent years have witnessed a renewed interest in plants as pharmaceuticals in the Western world. This interest is channeled into the discovery of new biologically-active molecules by the pharmaceutical industry and into the adoption of crude extracts of plants for self-medication by the general public. In both of these areas some attention is being paid to the investigation and use of ethnopharmacology, the traditional use of plants for medicinal purposes by particular cultural groups. Ethnopharmacologic leads have resulted in the introduction of new single molecule drugs but have a greater role to play if crude extracts are accepted for clinical use in the West. The problems confronting such usage are discussed. Considerable benefits for developing countries are possible when the local medicinal plants are subjected to scientific methods of validation of traditional use and quality control. This approach has met with success in some parts of the world but is not always appreciated by national governments and international agencies. Related areas of concern such as conservation of ecology and culture must be integrated with any such program. Plants used in traditional medicine therefore have an important role to play in the maintenance of health in all parts of the world and in the introduction of new treatments.     

In vitro expression of the diphtheria toxin A-chain gene under the control of human chorionic gonadotropin gene promoters as a means of directing toxicity to ovarian cancer cell lines

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to determine whether toxicity of the diphtheria toxin A-chain gene regulated by the human chorionic gonadotropin promoter can be directed to malignant ovarian cell lines. STUDY DESIGN: Plasmids containing diphtheria toxin A-chain gene linked to the regulatory elements of the metalloergothioneine and human chorionic gonadotropin promoters were transfected into the cell lines. Expression of diphtheria toxin A-chain gene was determined by the inhibition of a cotransfected luciferase reporter gene. RESULTS: Cytotoxicity of the diphtheria toxin A-chain gene is shown in a dose-responsive manner. Transfection of a plasmid expressing the diphtheria toxin A-chain gene controlled by a constitutive promoter readily inhibits protein synthesis. Specific inhibition of luciferase protein synthesis occurs in ovarian cancer cells transfected with the diphtheria toxin A-chain gene under the control of the human chorionic gonadotropin promoters when compared with normal ovarian epithelial cells or fibroblasts. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate the preferential expression of the diphtheria toxin A-chain gene, regulated by the human chorionic gonadotropin promoter, to ovarian cancer cell lines. This provides an avenue for targeting such cells for suicide, toxin, or cytokine genes.     

A millimeter-wave geometric phase interferometer

A millimeter-wave interferometer operating purely on the geometric phase is presented. Like its optical counterpart described by Hariharan and Roy, this system uses two circular polarizers with a half-wave section in between. The geometric phase of each signal is determined by the orientation of the half-wave section.