Synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillation in periodically poled lithium niobate with 1-w average output power

We report on a rugged all-solid-state laser source of near-IR radiation in the range of 1461-1601 nm based on a high-power Nd:YVO(4) laser that is mode locked by a semiconductor saturable Bragg reflector as the pump source of a synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator with a periodically poled lithium niobate crystal. The system produces 34-ps pulses with a high repetition rate of 235 MHz and an average output power of 1 W. The relatively long pulses lead to wide cavity detuning tolerances. The comparatively narrow spectral bandwidth of <15 GHz is suitable for applications such as pollutant detection.     

Massage therapy effects

Massage therapy is older than recorded time, and rubbing was the primary form of medicine until the pharmaceutical revolution of the 1940s. Popularized again as part of the alternative medicine movement, massage therapy has recently received empirical support for facilitating growth, reducing pain, increasing alertness, diminishing depression, and enhancing immune function. In this article studies are reviewed that document these effects, and models are proposed for potential underlying mechanisms.     

Role rehearsal: a mock code program

A hospital implements a mock code program to increase nurses' comfort and skill with increased code arrest duties, improving their performance 95%.     

A randomized phase-II study of BB-10010 (macrophage inflammatory protein- 1alpha) in patients with advanced breast cancer receiving 5-fluorouracil, adriamycin, and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy

BB-10010 is a variant of the human form of macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha), which has been shown in mice to block the entry of hematopoietic stem cells into S-phase and to increase their self-renewal capacity during recovery from cytotoxic damage. Its use may constitute a novel approach for protecting the quality of the stem cell population and its capacity to regenerate after periods of cytotoxic treatment. Thirty patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer were entered into the first randomized, parallel group controlled phase II study. This was designed to evaluate the potential myeloprotective effects of a 7-day regimen of BB-10010 administered to patients receiving six cycles of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), adriamycin, and cyclophosphamide (FAC) chemotherapy. Patients were randomized, 10 receiving 100 microgram/kg BB-10010, 11 receiving 30 microgram/kg BB-10010, and nine control patients receiving no BB-10010. BB-10010 was well-tolerated in all patients with no severe adverse events related to the drug. Episodes of febrile neutropenia complicated only 4% of the treatment cycles and there was no difference in incidence between the treated and nontreated groups. Studies to assess the generation of progenitor cells in long-term bone marrow cultures were performed immediately preceding chemotherapy and at the end of six dosing cycles in 18 patients. Circulating neutrophils, platelets, CD 34(+) cells, and granulocyte/macrophage colony-forming cell (GM-CFC) levels were determined at serial time points in cycles 1, 3, and 6. The results showed similar hemoglobin and platelet kinetics in all three groups. On completion of the six treatment cycles, the average pretreatment neutrophil levels were reduced from 5.3 to 1.7 x 10(9)/L in the control patients and from 4.3 to 1.9 and 4.5 to 2.5 x 10(9)/L in the 30/100 microgram/kg BB-10010 groups, respectively. Relative to their pretreatment values, 50% of the patients receiving BB-10010 completed the treatment with neutrophil values significantly higher than any of the controls (P = .02). Mobilization of GM-CFC was enhanced by BB-10010 with an additional fivefold increase over that generated by chemotherapy alone, giving a maximal 25-fold increase over pretreatment values. Bone marrow progenitor assays before and after this standard regimen of chemotherapy indicated little long-term cumulative impairment to recovery from chemotherapy. Despite the limited cumulative damage to the bone marrow, which may have minimized the protective value of BB-10010 during this regimen of chemotherapy, better recovery of neutrophils in the later treatment cycles with BB-10010 was indicated in a number of patients.     

Solution structure of the motile major sperm protein (MSP) of Ascaris suum - evidence for two manganese binding sites and the possible role of divalent cations in filament formation

The major sperm protein (MSP) of Ascaris suum mediates amoeboid motility by forming an extensive intermeshed system of cytoskeletal filaments analogous to that formed by actin in many other amoeboid cells. MSP is a dimeric molecule that polymerizes to form non-polar filaments constructed from two helical subfilaments that wind round one another. Moreover, MSP filaments can interact with one another to form higher-order assemblies without requiring the range of accessory proteins usually employed in actin-based systems. A knowledge of how MSP polymerizes and forms the hierarchical series of helical MSP macromolecular assemblies is fundamental to understanding locomotion in these cells. Here we describe the solution structure of MSP dimers determined by NMR spectroscopy under conditions where MSP does not polymerize to form filaments. The solution structure is indistinguishable from that observed in putative MSP subfilament helices by X-ray crystallography, indicating that MSP polymerization is not accompanied by a major conformational change. We also show that the rate of MSP polymerization associated with movement of vesicles in an in vitro motility assay is enhanced by the presence of magnesium and manganese ions and use NMR to show that the primary residues that bind these ions are 24-25 and 83-86. These residues are distant from the interface formed between MSP dimers in subfilament helices, and so are probably not involved in this level of polymerization. Instead the manganese and magnesium ion binding appears to be associated with the assembly of subfilaments into filaments and their subsequent aggregation into bundles.     

Specific immune induction following DNA-based immunization through in vivo transfection and activation of macrophages/antigen-presenting cells

The initiation of an adaptive immune response requires Ag presentation in combination with the appropriate activation signals. Classically, Ag presentation and immune activation occur in the lymph node and spleen, where a favorable organ architecture and rich cellular help can enhance the process. Recently, several investigators have reported the use of DNA expression cassettes to elicit cellular and humoral immunity against diverse pathogens. Although the immune mechanisms involved are still poorly understood, plasmid inoculation represents a model system for studying immune function in response to invading pathogens. In this report, we demonstrate the presence of activated macrophages or dendritic cells in the blood lymphocyte pool and peripheral tissues of animals inoculated with DNA expression cassettes. These cells are directly transfected in vivo, present Ag, and display the surface proteins CD80 and CD86. Our studies indicate that these cells function as APC and can activate naive T lymphocytes. They may represent an important first step APC in genetic immunization and natural infection.