Continuous infusion fluorouracil/leucovorin and bolus mitomycin-C as a salvage regimen for patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

Background: No effective systemic salvage therapy exists for patients with advanced colorectal cancer who progress after receiving bolus fluorouracil (FU) and leucovorin (LV) chemotherapy. In vitro data suggest that bolus FU resistance can be overcome by continuous infusion (CI) FU, and that the cytotoxic effects of Mitomycin-C (MMC) and FU are synergistic. Based on this data, a Phase II trial of CI FU and LV with bolus MMC in patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma who progressed on only one previous chemotherapy regimen was performed.

Effects of workload preview on task scheduling during simulated instrument flight.

Our study examined pilot scheduling behavior in the context of simulated instrument flight. Over the course of the flight, pilots flew along specified routes while scheduling and performing several flight-related secondary tasks. The first phase of flight was flown under low-workload conditions, whereas the second phase of flight was flown under high-workload conditions in the form of increased turbulence and a disorganized instrument layout.

Effect of bacterial lipopolysaccharide on function of rat small femoral arteries.

The effects of endotoxin on endothelial and smooth muscle function were investigated in small femoral arteries removed from rats 4 h after intraperitoneal injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 20 mg/kg) or solvent. In the absence of L-arginine in the organ bath, the sensitivity of the arteries to norepinephrine (NE) was decreased only slightly, and the relaxing effects of neither 3-morpholinosydonimine-N-ethyl-carbamide (SIN-1), a nitric oxide (NO) donor, nor acetylcholine (ACh) were modified by LPS treatment despite morphological damage to the endothelium seen with scanning electron microscopy. However, L-arginine (30 microM to 1 mM), which had no effect on control vessels, caused a rapid and stereospecific relaxation of arteries from LPS-treated rats that was abolished by both NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (1 mM), a NO synthase inhibitor, and methylene blue, an inhibitor of the activation of guanylyl cyclase by NO.

Proximity compatibility and information display: effects of color, space, and object display on information integration.

We report two experiments in which different features of the display of multiple channels of information are varied in their proximity to one another. The display presents three indicators of aircraft stall danger (airspeed, flaps, and bank). On some trials the stall danger is estimated, requiring information integration.

[Hospital infection in the maternity department. 3 years of surveillance in 9,204 deliveries of which 1,333 were cesarean sections].

Hospital or nosocomial infection, or infection acquired in hospitals, is a health problem in all hospital departments and particularly in the maternity department. We report on a prospective survey of surveillance of hospital-acquired infections both from the mother and the baby's point of view after delivery vaginally or with caesarean carried out at the obstetrical clinic of the Edouard Herriot Hospital in Lyon (France) over three successive years with a series of 9,204 deliveries. The incidence of infection in women who were delivered without caesarean section was 1.

[Determination of anti-tetanus antibodies using protein A labeled with iodine 125].

We present a quantitative measurement of specific antitetanic IgG immunoglobulins with protein "A" labeled with I125. The Laurell's immunoelectrophoresis was the reference method. After having fixed optimum conditions of duration and temperature of de reaction, we studied the different concentrations of the coated antigen and also the different dilution of serum.

[Postoperative attack of familial periodic hypokalemic paralysis].

The article reports on a postoperative attack of familial hypokaliaemic paralysis. Current pathophysiological concepts on the origin of the disease pattern are presented and the possible influence of general anaesthesia is discussed.

Comparison of latex agglutination and counterimmunoelectrophoresis in the diagnosis of acute Streptococcus pneumoniae infections.

The ability of latex agglutination (Slidex Pneumokit) and counterimmunoelectrophoresis to detect Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen in body fluids was evaluated. The patients were classified as having proven Streptococcus pneumoniae infection, suspected Streptococcus pneumoniae infection, acute superinfection of chronic bronchitis or non-pneumococcal respiratory infection. Sixty-two non-pneumococcal meningitis patients were also included in the study.