Technical safety aspects of carving equipment

Results are submitted of use of propes during different phases of treatment in 36 patients with malignant lymphomas. The above drug is associated with no complications or side effects, inhibits the development of the tumor process. The employment of propes permits enhancing both natural resistance of the organism and its killer activity. It is an effective aid to cytostatic therapy as a way for prophylaxis of hypoplasia of haemopoiesis which can be successfully used in other malignant tumors.     

Preventing wading pool suction-drain injuries

Clinical records of 14, CD4 cell counts > 400/mm3, mild symptoms or asymptomatic, HIV infected patients and with chronic active hepatitis (identified by hepatic biopsy) were under review. Four of them were infected with HBV, 8 with HCV, 1 with HDV and other one with HBV + HCV + HDV. They were treated with alpha interferon for 6 months. Effectiveness was evaluated. It was found that in 4 (50%) of HCV infected patients transaminases raised normal value two of them remained with normal values at the end of review (22 and 48 months of follow-up). All HBV infected patients (4) normalized transaminases. Three of them lost HBeAg, that persisted through 38 months of follow-up. It was found too, whose did not improved with 6 months treatment did not benefit with a longer treatment. Therefore, HIV infected patients uncompromised (CD4+ > 400/mm3) and with chronic active hepatitis were benefited by interferon treatment (57%). Reversal of HBeAg was remarkable.     

Clinical and genetic analysis of a distinct autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia

OBJECTIVE: To characterize a distinct form of spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) clinically and genetically. BACKGROUND: The SCAs are a genetically heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders affecting the cerebellum and its connections. The mutations for SCA1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 have been identified and shown to be due to expansion of a CAG repeat in the coding region of these genes. Two additional SCA loci on chromosomes 16 and 11 have been designated SCA4 and SCA5. However, up to 20% of individuals with autosomal dominant forms of ataxias cannot be assigned any of these genotypes, implying the presence of other unidentified genes that may be involved in the development of ataxia. METHODS: We ascertained and clinically characterized a six-generation pedigree segregating an autosomal dominant trait for SCA. We performed direct mutation analysis and linkage analysis for all known SCA loci. RESULTS: The mutation analysis excludes SCA1, 2, 3, 6, and 7, and genetic linkage analysis excludes SCA4 and SCA5 (multipoint location scores < -2 across the candidate region). Clinical analysis of individuals in this family shows that all affected members have dysarthria, gait and limb ataxia, and nystagmus. No individuals have major brainstem or long-tract findings. Analysis of age at disease onset through multiple generations suggests anticipation. CONCLUSION: This pedigree represents a genetically distinct form of SCA with a phenotype characterized by predominantly cerebellar symptoms and signs.     

New trends in glass-ionomer chemistry

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is an effective anticonvulsant agent. Current literature reports describe several cases of seizure exacerbation and/or EEG worsening due to CBZ with a high prevalence in children and adolescents; we report 10 new cases. Nine patients had epilepsy; one showed delayed psychomotor development and frequent EEG paroxysmal abnormalities. Four patients were on monotherapy, six on polytherapy. All but one had therapeutic CBZ plasma concentrations. Seizures increased in frequency in nine, and in eight patients new seizure types appeared, mostly absences. Cognitive functions/behaviour worsened in eight; EEG recordings showed slowing background activity and increased paroxysmal abnormalities, in six cases diffuse/generalized spike waves were seen and in two continuous spike wave discharges. The mean time of clinical EEG worsening was 1-2 days after introduction of CBZ at therapeutic doses. After CBZ withdrawal clinical EEG improvement was evident in a few days. The underlying pathogenetic mechanism is not yet understood. However, the pathophysiology of seizure exacerbation might be related to the interaction between age-related alterations in the balance of excitation and inhibition in the developing thalamocortical circuitry and the essential activity of CBZ that tends to induce interictal discharges.     

Dropping out from short-term group therapy.

Examined psychological mindedness (PSYM) as a patient suitability variable in an outcome study of 16 psychoanalytically-oriented short-term therapy groups. 109 patients began the immediate or delayed treatment phases of the study. 76 completed therapy, while 33 dropped out. Univariate analyses conducted with 49 pretherapy variables revealed that dropouts and remainers differed on 3 variables: SCL-90 total score, target severity (rated by the patient), and level of PSYM. Dropouts were less psychologically minded and more disturbed in terms of psychiatric symptomatology and the severity of their target objectives than were remainers. Patients with high PSYM whose symptoms and problems were within a tolerable range tended to remain in therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sum frequency mixing of copper vapor laser output in KDP andβ-BBO

Generation at 271 nm by frequency summing the two copper vapor laser (CVL) output wavelengths (at 511 and 578 nm) in β-BBO and KDP is reported. A maximum sum frequency output of 100 mW was obtained for 6.8 W total pump power from a CVL operating with a fully unstable (M =16) confocal cavity     

A CASE tool for conceptual database design

The paper describes a Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tool to support conceptual database modelling. One popular approach for conceptual database modelling is use of the Entity-Relationship (ER) model. The paper proposes the use of an Enhanced Entity-Relationship (EER) model for conceptual database modelling. This Enhanced Entity-Relationship model extends the Entity-Relationship model by incorporating the generalization/specialization, aggregation and categorization abstractions. The CASE tool, which is based on the Enhanced Entity-Relationship model, is known as the Enhanced Entity-Relationship Diagrammer (EERD). In addition, the CASE tool supports direct visual query and update based on the EERM.     

Human olfactory neuroepithelial cells: tyrosine phosphorylation and process extension are increased by the combination of IL-1beta, IL-6, NGF, and bFGF

Olfactory neuroepithelial cells (ONC) grown from biopsies of human donors are a novel cell culture system that may facilitate studies into normal and disease-related human neurobiology. We further characterized the expression of cell surface markers and intermediate filaments, and responses to neurotrophic factors by ONC. ONC are positive for cell surface markers N-CAM, PSA-N-CAM, neutral endopeptidase, N-aminopeptidase, NGF low-affinity receptor homologue (CD40), and transferrin receptor by flow cytometry for the intermediate filament proteins peripherin, vimentin, and NF-H by immunocytochemistry. Responses to neurotrophic factors measured were process outgrowth, cytoskeletal protein expression, and protein phosphorylation. Process outgrowth was increased by interleukin-beta 164-171 (IL-1beta) or by the combination of IL-1beta, interleukin-6 (IL-6), nerve growth factor (NGF), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). This combination of IL-1beta, IL-6, NGF, and bFGF (16NF) increased expression of two cytoskeletal proteins, NF-H protein and microtubule-associated protein tau. Application of the individual neurotrophic factors IL-1beta, IL-6, NGF, and bFGF increased protein phosphorylation, while 16NF produced an immediate increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins (MW of 40-80, 120, 150, and 190 kDa). The 16NF combination appears to act through a tyrosine-kinase-mediated pathway to induce process extension and increase NF-H expression. The ONC culture has the potential to be further explored to examine the relationship among process outgrowth, protein phosphorylation, and synergy between neurotrophin and cytokine receptor systems.