Allogeneic marrow transplantation following cyclophosphamide and escalating doses of hyperfractionated total body irradiation in patients with advanced lymphoid malignancies: a Phase I/II trial.

Purpose: To define the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of unshielded total body irradiation (TBI) delivered from dual 60C sources at an exposure rate of 0.08 Gy/min and given in thrice daily fractions of 1.2 Gy in patients with advanced lymphoid malignancies.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in childhood AIDS encephalopathy.

Twenty-five children with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) underwent cranial magnetic resonance imaging and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on clinical parameters: encephalopathy and nonencephalopathy. N-acetyl aspartate/creatine ratios were compared between the 2 groups and to control data.

Prolonged ambulatory canine colonic motility.

Canine gastrointestinal motility is studied at present in animals confined to a small cage or sling. The aims of this study were to record colonic activity over a 24-h period in eight dogs by an ambulatory method. Motility signals from implanted strain gauges were processed and stored via a portable battery-operated amplifier and digital recorder housed in a jacket.

The neurodyne: a simple mains-powered constant-current stimulus isolator.

Electrical stimulation of neuronal tissue is a fundamental part of many experiments in neuroscience. It is now widely accepted that to minimise stimulus artefacts stimulators need to be both constant-current devices and also electrically isolated from ground. This difficult combination of parameters is usually only obtained with battery-powered devices.

Causes of Decadal Climate Variability over the North Pacific and North America.

The cause of decadal climate variability over the North Pacific Ocean and North America is investigated by the analysis of data from a multidecadal integration with a state-of-the-art coupled ocean-atmosphere model and observations. About one-third of the low-frequency climate variability in the region of interest can be attributed to a cycle involving unstable air-sea interactions between the subtropical gyre circulation in the North Pacific and the Aleutian low-pressure system. The existence of this cycle provides a basis for long-range climate forecasting over the western United States at decadal time scales.

Consumption of reduced-energy/low-fat diet or constant-energy/high-fat diet during mezerein treatment inhibited mouse skin tumor promotion.

Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that promotion of two-stage skin carcinogenesis in the SENCAR mouse model was inhibited in mice fed energy-restricted/low-fat diets, and elevated in mice fed high-fat diets. Studies reported here describe the influence of dietary energy restriction from fat and carbohydrate (ER) or high-fat (HF) diet on early promotion by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and on late promotion by mezerein (MEZ). Female SENCAR mice were initiated topically with 10 nmol 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) in 0.

Transcriptional control of the human biliary glycoprotein gene, a CEA gene family member down-regulated in colorectal carcinomas.

Biliary glycoprotein (BGP) isoantigens are derived by alternative splicing from a single gene and are the human homologs of rat C-CAM and the mouse Bgp species. These glycoproteins represent a family of cell-adhesion molecules. The mouse Bgp isoforms also act as receptors for the hepatitis viral capsid-protein.

Protein kinase C activity is reduced in epidermal cells from energy-restricted SENCAR mice.

Female SENCAR mice were pre-fed a control or 40% energy-restricted (ER) diet with energy removed from fat and carbohydrate, or a control, balanced high fat (BHF, with similar energy from fat and carbohydrate), 35% energy restricted from fat (HCR) or 35% energy restricted from carbohydrate (HFR) diet. Epidermal cells were isolated by trypsin digestion for measurement of protein kinase C (PKC) activity, lipid composition or lipid metabolism. Dietary restriction of fat or carbohydrate energy (HFR or HCR group) reduced particulate PKC activity in epidermal cells compared with cells from control mice.

Nonspecific cross-reacting antigen 50/90 is elevated in patients with breast, lung, and colon cancer.

A total of 22 genes have been identified in the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) gene family. The protein products of this family are highly homologous and include CEA, biliary glycoprotein, nonspecific cross-reacting antigen 50/90 (NCA 50/90), NCA 95, and pregnancy-specific beta-glycoprotein. We used a monoclonal antibody with high affinity to develop a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method for NCA 50/90 in serum and plasma.

A low-noise optically isolated preamplifier for use with extracellular microelectrodes.

This paper describes in detail the construction of a low-noise optically isolated preamplifier for recording extracellular action potentials from nerve cell bodies and axons. This preamplifier is less prone to pick up noise from extraneous sources of electromagnetic radiation than non-isolated designs.

A revised structure for fucoidan may explain some of its biological activities.

Fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus inhibits human sperm-zona pellucida binding and blocks the zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction in human sperm. Fucoidan also potently inhibits selectin-mediated adhesion of leukocytes to vascular endothelium. To understand the molecular basis for fucoidan's inhibition of specific cell adhesion events, we have investigated the structure of this fucan using definitive methods of carbohydrate structural analysis.

A two-tiered approach to long-range climate forecasting.

Long-range global climate forecasts were made by use of a model for predicting a tropical Pacific sea-surface temperature (SST) in tandem with an atmospheric general circulation model. The SST is predicted first at long lead times into the future. These ocean forecasts are then used to force the atmospheric model and so produce climate forecasts at lead times of the SST forecasts.

Expression and sequence of the gene for tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Purpose: The tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are major inhibitors of several enzymes that are destructive to connective tissue, and TIMP-1 has been reported to be deficient in the wall of abdominal aortic aneurysms. This deficiency could represent failure of expression resulting from either local tissue conditions or mutation in the primary structure of the gene (or one of its regulatory elements).

Methods: Southern blotting techniques were used to examine the possibility of global deletions or inserts in the gene (14 patients); Northern blot techniques were performed to examine the expression of the mRNAs in cultured fibroblasts under basal conditions (six patients); and sequence analysis of the cDNA derived from fibroblast mRNAs was done after amplification by polymerase chain reaction (six patients).

The invaluable team member.

This article was written specifically to encourage hospitals that are initiating total quality management to include physicians at the beginning stages of the process. Including physicians from the outset can benefit the entire organization. Physicians, by the nature of their profession, have an important role in the quality of the patient care process.

Human biliary glycoprotein gene: characterization of a family of novel alternatively spliced RNAs and their expressed proteins.

Eight different human biliary glycoprotein (BGP) isoantigens, structurally related members of the carcinoembryonic antigen family, CD66/67 family, and immunoglobulin superfamily, are derived by alternative splicing from a single genomic transcription unit. Novel BGP isoforms have been identified by polymerase chain reaction amplification and by DNA sequencing of amplified cDNA segments. In addition to verifying previously documented BGPs, we describe four new forms, two of which have unusual nonimmunoglobulin exons contributed by inverted Alu repeats.

Are there employment risks to ethical decisions?

A 1991 Washington State Supreme Court decision revisited the issue of job protection for a nurse who criticizes her employer for a treatment policy or practice that, while apparently legal, she believes to be unethical. In a case involving artificial nutrition and hydration, the court held that a nurse who tried to change her nursing home employer's policy of permitting withdrawal was acting to promote her own values, not the public good, and therefore was not entitled to protection by the public policy exception to the employment-at-will doctrine.

Inhibition of skin tumor promotion by restriction of fat and carbohydrate calories in SENCAR mice.

The purpose of this research was to compare the influence of calorie restriction by removal of fat with calorie restriction by removal of carbohydrate on the promotion of skin tumorigenesis in mice. Female SENCAR mice were initiated with 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (10 nmol, single topical treatment) and fed calorie-restricted diets during and following promotion with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (2 micrograms, topically, twice a week for 20 weeks). Control diet (American Institute of Nutrition-based formulation) was compared with a diet in which calories from fat and calories from carbohydrate were similar [balanced high fat (BHF)] in ad libitum-fed groups.

Soft drink consumption and urinary stone recurrence: a randomized prevention trial.

The object of this study was to determine if a strong association between soft drink (soda) consumption and recurrence of urinary stone disease, found in an earlier case-control study of adult males, had a causal component. The study sample consisted of 1009 male subjects, who completed an episode of urinary stone disease, who were aged 18-75 at that time, and who reported consuming at least 160 ml per day of soft drinks. Half of the subjects were randomized to refrain from consuming soft drinks, while the remaining subjects served as controls.

Length-based endotracheal tube and emergency equipment in pediatrics.

Hypothesis: Pediatric endotracheal (ET) tubes can be accurately selected based on body length using a specialized emergency tape.

Population: Derivation set: Two hundred five children undergoing elective surgery. Validation set: Two hundred thirteen children undergoing elective surgery.

Clinical improvement of the myopathy in eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome with steroids and rehabilitative therapy.

The authors report a case of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome with a progressive neuromyopathy. Progressive weakness, myalgia, and dermatitis developed in the patient described after chronic ingestion of high-dose L-tryptophan for insomnia. Laboratory, electrophysiologic, and muscle biopsy results support the diagnosis of an inflammatory myopathy consistent with that of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome.

Polyglycosylceramides with branched N-acetyllactosamine sequences are synthesized by the human pancreatic carcinoma cell line PANC-1.

We have metabolically labeled the human pancreatic tumor cell line PANC-1 with high specific activity tritiated sugar precursors to study the expression of glycosphingolipids by this cell type. We have used a combination of detergent solubilization, exhaustive protease digestion, ceramide glycanase digestion, and reverse-phase chromatography to isolate glycosphingolipid-derived oligosaccharides specifically labeled in their component sugars. A significant proportion of the oligosaccharides derived from polar glycosphingolipids were of high molecular mass (greater than 2000 Da).