Voltage preamplifier for extensional quartz sensors used in scanning force microscopy.

Extensional-mode quartz resonators are being increasingly used as force sensors in dynamic scanning force microscopy or atomic force microscopy (AFM). We propose a voltage preamplifier in order to amplify the charge induced on quartz electrodes. The proposed solution has some advantages over the typically used current-to-voltage converters.

Semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase activity in rat aortic cultured smooth muscle cells.

Metabolism of 5 microM benzylamine (BZ) by rat aortic cultured smooth muscle cells (SMC) is inhibited almost completely by 10(-3) M semicarbazide and 10(-6) M propargylamine, but is little affected by 10(-4) M and 10(-3) M pargyline and clorgyline, indicating BZ metabolism predominantly by the semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) previously characterized in rat aortic homogenates. Km values of 7-9 microM for BZ metabolism by SSAO in SMC cultures, indicate similar, if not identical properties, to the enzyme in the parent blood vessel.

Human recombinant interferon-alpha-2 in the treatment of patients with hairy cell leukemia.

During the last 2 years, we have treated 14 hairy cell leukemia (HCL) patients with human recombinant interferon-2 alpha (Boehringer Ingelheim). The above group consisted of eight nonsplenectomized and six previously splenectomized progressive HCL patients. The patients received daily doses of 5 x 10(6) units of IFN for 3 months and two doses per week for the next 3 months thereafter by i.