Systematic study of the cross polarization introduced by broadband antireflection layers at microwave frequencies.

Implementation of antireflection layers using structured materials is of common use in millimeter- and submillimeter-wave refractive optic systems. In this work we have systematically studied the effect of such structures in the optical propagation with special emphasis on the cross polarization they introduce. We have performed extensive simulations and experimental verification of several commonly used structures: concentric grooves, parallel grooves, an array of boxes, an array of cylinders, and rectangular- versus triangular-shaped grooves.

The Clinical Breast Care Project: an important resource in investigating environmental and genetic contributions to breast cancer in African American women.

Age at diagnosis, pathological characteristics, and tumor behavior differ between African American (AAW) and Caucasian women (CW) with breast cancer, with AAW having more aggressive tumors and higher mortality rates. Although both societal and molecular contributions to these disparities have been suggested, the African American population has traditionally been under-represented in research and clinical protocols, limiting the power of epidemiologic and molecular studies to provide better understanding of disease pathogenesis in this minority population. The Clinical Breast Care Project (CBCP) has developed a large tissue and blood repository from patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer, with previous history of breast cancer, counseled in the Risk Reduction Clinic, screened by routine mammography, or undergoing elective reductive mammoplasty.

[Consensus: Rational approach towards the patient with cancer, fever and neutropenia].

The severity and duration of post chemotherapy neutropenia were recognized during the 1960s as main predisposing factors for infections in cancer patients. At the beginning of the 70's a standard management approach for all febrile neutropenia (FN) episodes was proposed, based on hospitalization and intravenous empirical broad spectrum antibiotic therapy. Widespread use of this approach resulted in a significant reduction in mortality attributable to bacterial infections.

Polarization observations with the Cosmic Background Imager.

Polarization observations of the cosmic microwave background with the Cosmic Background Imager from September 2002 to May 2004 provide a significant detection of the E-mode polarization and reveal an angular power spectrum of polarized emission showing peaks and valleys that are shifted in phase by half a cycle relative to those of the total intensity spectrum. This key agreement between the phase of the observed polarization spectrum and that predicted on the basis of the total intensity spectrum provides support for the standard model of cosmology, in which dark matter and dark energy are the dominant constituents, the geometry is close to flat, and primordial density fluctuations are predominantly adiabatic with a matter power spectrum commensurate with inflationary cosmological models.

[Platelet alloimmunization in patients with oncologic blood disorders treated with multiple transfusions: prospective study in adults and children].

Background: Refractoriness continues to be a major complication of platelet transfusion therapy in patients with multiple transfusions. Despite most cases are secondary to non-immune causes, the most serious is that associated to alloimmunization. The incidence and consequences of HLA and non-HLA (platelet specific) antibodies are unknown in our country.