Controlling viscous fingering instabilities of complex fluids.

Despite their aesthetic elegance, wavy or fingering patterns emerge when a fluid of low viscosity pushes another immiscible fluid of high viscosity in a porous medium, producing an incomplete sweep and hampering several crucial technologies. Some examples include chromatography, printing, coating flows, oil-well cementing, as well as large-scale technologies of groundwater and enhanced oil recovery. Controlling such fingering instabilities is notoriously challenging and unresolved for complex fluids of varying viscosity because the fluids' mobility contrast is often predetermined and yet the predominant drive in determining a stable, flat or unstable, wavy interface.

Binding interactions of leukemia inhibitory factor and ciliary neurotrophic factor with the different subunits of their high affinity receptors.

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) share common components in their multimeric receptors. Both cytokine receptors contain gp130/interleukin-6-receptor transducer as well as gp190/low affinity LIF receptor. For CNTF, addition of a third subunit, or alpha subunit, defines the high-affinity CNTF receptor.

Expression and functionality of the trkA proto-oncogene product/NGF receptor in undifferentiated hematopoietic cells.

The expression of the low-affinity NGF receptor (p75) and the trkA proto-oncogene product was analyzed in a series of human hematopoietic cell lines at protein and RNA levels. We did not detect any form of NGF receptor in cell lines displaying a myelomonocytic phenotype (HL60 and U937). In contrast, cells displaying a more immature erythroleukemic phenotype (TF1 and K562) expressed TrkA in the absence of detectable p75.

Involvement of gp130/interleukin-6 receptor transducing component in interleukin-11 receptor.

The recently cloned interleukin (IL)-11 displays many biological properties in common with those reported for IL-6. In order to analyze the nature and the functionality of the IL-11 receptor we developed a proliferative assay using the human multifactor-dependent cell line TF1. We showed that a blocking monoclonal antibody GPX7 raised against the gp130/IL-6 receptor transducing subunit was also able to inhibit the IL-11-triggered TF1 line proliferation.

An ELISA technique for the measurement of C1q in cerebrospinal fluid.

Determination of the C1q content of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may be of value in understanding the immunological reactions occurring within the central nervous system (CNS). A double sandwich ELISA method has been developed for the detection of C1q in human serum and CSF. It uses polyclonal antibodies and is sensitive in the nanogram range.

Transient hypoparathyroidism induced by synthetic human parathyroid hormone-(1-34) treatment.

Daily injections of low doses of a synthetic fragment of human PTH [hPTH-(1-34) have increased iliac trabecular bone volume when used in the treatment of osteoporosis. In approximately 50 patients no major side-effects had occurred. However, during daily sc 100-micrograms injections of the peptide, one patient repeatedly developed parathyroid hypofunction which resolved each time treatment was stopped.

Glucose counterregulation in pre-school-age diabetic children with recurrent hypoglycemia during conventional treatment.

To determine whether immature or defective glucose counterregulation was responsible for the severe recurrent hypoglycemic episodes (3.6 per patient per year) observed during conventional therapy (CT) in six pre-school-age diabetic children, we investigated their metabolic and hormonal responses to insulin infusion (40 mU/kg i.v.

Antigonadotropic cell antibodies in the serum of cryptorchid children and infants and of their mothers.

An indirect immunofluorescence test allowed us to study circulating antigonadotropin-cell antibodies in patients with cryptorchidism. Antigonadotropin-cell activity was found in the serum in 14 of 23 cryptorchid boys aged 1 to 11 years and in 12 of 23 infants aged 1 to 3 months; in most of them the antibodies persisted during short-term follow-up. Results of paired study of the mother and infant were concordant in 14 of 15 cases.

[Paget's bone disease. Preliminary serological study].

A serological study has been carried out in Paget's bone disease where the etiology still remains uncertain. Previous work on patients with the disease revealed specific osteoclast inclusions that could be linked to the presence of a virus of the paramyxovirus group. Conventional methods for exploring humoral immunity reveal no great differences in the concentration of antibodies against the various viral strains tested on sera from 46 patients with Paget's bone disease and from 46 paired controls.

[Circulating human pituitary prolactin cell autoantibodies and Alzheimer's disease].

Prolactin cell autoantibodies (PRL cells Ab) were detected in 96 p. cent of 27 cases of Alzheimer's presenile dementia and senile dementia, as defined by clinical criteria and data from CT scans. The very high frequency of these autoantibodies appears to be even more significant of Alzheimer's disease in that they were found with a similar frequency in patients with Down's syndrome aged from 13 to 33 years.

[Paget's bone disease. Preliminary serological study].

A serological study has been carried out in Paget's bone disease where the etiology still remains uncertain. Previous work on patients with the disease revealed specific osteoclast inclusions that could be linked to the presence of a virus of the paramyxovirus group. Conventional methods for exploring humoral immunity reveal no great differences in the concentration of antibodies against the various viral strains tested on sera from 46 patients with Paget's bone disease and from 46 paired controls.

Complement-fixing Islet cell antibodies from some diabetic patients alter insulin release in vitro.

To explore humoral immunity in insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) patients, we studied insulin release from isolated mouse islets stimulated by glucose + theophylline after incubation with the sera of these patients and complement. Eleven of 21 IDDM sera suppressed the stimulated insulin release while the arginine-stimulated glucagon release remained unchanged. Morphologic evidence and the trypan-blue exclusion test suggested that the suppression of insulin release was due to a cytotoxic effect of the sera.

Lymphocytes from diabetics suppress insulin release in vitro.

The insulin response of isolated islet cells to glucose and theophylline in vitro was studied after incubation with lymphocytes. The test was employed to explore cell-mediated immunity in diabetics. A significant inhibition of insulin response to glucose and theophylline as compared to insulin release in a "basal" medium was found after incubation with blood lymphocytes from 21 out of 23 insulin-dependent diabetics (mean secretion index 18 +/- 18 versus 118 + 8 (SEM) % in control subjects).

[Viral origin of Paget's disease of bone. Contribution of electron microscopy and immunocytology of the aetiological diagnosis (author's transl)].

Despite considerable research work the cause of Paget's disease of bone remains uncertain. In a study of bone tissue from 100 patients with Paget's disease electron microscopy demonstrated alterations of the cells involved in bone remodelling. Osteoblasts showed distinct signs of hyperactivity, and the fibrillar arrangement of the osteoid tissue they produce was irregular.

Towards a viral etiology for Paget's disease of bone.

The etiology of Paget's disease of bone has long remained obscure. The recent discovery in electron microscopy of specific inclusions in the cytoplasm and nuclei of osteoclasts in tissue from patients with Paget's bone disease has been the starting point of investigations into a possible viral origin. The inclusions, made up of microcylinders, described by several authors as being found only in osteoclasts in Paget's bone disease, present a close morphological analogy with nucleocapsids of paramyxovirus of the measles group.

Bone tissue in Paget's disease of bone. Ultrastructure and Immunocytology.

Ultrastructural observation in Paget's disease of bone clarify aspects of bone cells in bone tissue and demonstrate the presence of specific intranuclear inclusions composed of microcylinders in the osteoclasts. The morphologic analysis of these structures suggests an analogy with virus material of the measles group. Results obtained using indirect immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase techniques lend further support to the hypothesis of a viral etiology in Paget's disease of bone.

Viral antigens in osteoclasts from Paget's disease of bone.

Osteoclasts from patients with Paget's disease of bone contained viral antigenic material. Ultrastructural and immunological studies suggested that measles or measles-related virus was the agent involved.

[Pituitary insufficiency and auto-immunity (author's transl)].

An indirect immunofluorescence study of the serum of 37 patients with anterior pituitary disease suggested that in a number of them an auto-immune process intervened in the pathogenesis of the condition. Seven sera reacted positively to human pituitary gland and 15 to rat pituitary gland. Auto-antibodies directed specifically against one or several types of pituitary cells seem to be more frequent in pituitary insufficiencies involving one or two hormones.

[Parkinson's disease, dysautonomy, and auto-antibodies directed against sympathetic neurones (author's transl)].

A study was conducted to evaluate possible correlations between auto-antibodies directed against sympathetic structures (Ab. S), in Parkinson's disease and the dysautonomy that may be associated with it, in 85 Parkinsonian patients and 85 controls. In all the patients with Parkinson's disease, the immunological study was coupled with an evaluation of functional signs of anomalies of neurovegetative function, and tests for postural hypotension.

[Demonstration of anti-pancreatic cellular immunity in insulin-dependent diabetics].

A significant inhibition of insulin response was found after incubation of islet cells with blood lymphocytes from 18 out 20 insulin-dependent diabetics. No inhibition was found in 22 control subjects.