Influence of Nitric Acid on the Helium Ion Radiolysis of Aqueous Butanal Oxime Solutions.

Samples of butanal oxime in aqueous nitric acid solutions have been irradiated with the helium ion (4He2+) beam of the CEMHTI (Orléans, France) cyclotron. The consumption yield of butanal oxime has been measured by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Gaseous products (mainly H2 and N2O) have also been monitored by micro-gas chromatography. Yields of liquid phase products (hydrogen peroxide and nitrous acid) have been determined by colorimetric methods. The influence of nitric acid on the radiation chemical behavior of butanal oxime depends on the nitric acid concentration. For a low concentration (≤0.5 mol L-1) butanal oxime is protected by the nitrate ions, which can efficiently scavenge the water radiolysis radicals. For higher concentrations, nitrous acid can accumulate in the medium, therefore leading to a strong increase of the butanal oxime degradation. The associated mechanism is an autocatalytic oxidation of butanal oxime by HNO2.

Behavior of heptavalent technetium in sulfuric acid under α-irradiation: structural determination of technetium sulfate complexes by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and first principles calculations.

The effect of α-radiolysis on the behavior of heptavalent technetium has been investigated in 13 and 18 M H2SO4. Irradiation experiments were performed using α-particles ((4)He(2+), E = 68 MeV) generated by the ARRONAX cyclotron. UV-visible and X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopic studies indicate that Tc(VII) is reduced to Tc(V) under α-irradiation. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy measurements are consistent with the presence of mononuclear technetium sulfate complexes. Experimental results and density functional calculations show the formation of [TcO(HSO4)3(H2O)(OH)](-) and/or [TcO(HSO4)3(H2O)2] and [Tc(HSO4)3(SO4)(H2O)] and/or [Tc(HSO4)3(SO4)(OH)](-) for 13 and 18 M H2SO4, respectively.

Rapid onset vasodilatation is blunted in obese humans.

AIM: Conduit artery function in obese humans is frequently assessed at rest, but very little is known about resistance artery function in response to muscle contraction. We tested the hypothesis that obese adults will exhibit reduced contraction-induced rapid onset vasodilatation. Single and brief forearm contractions were used to isolate the local effects of muscle contraction on the forearm vasodilatory response, independent of systemic haemodynamic and sympathetic neural influence. METHODS: We measured forearm blood flow (Doppler ultrasound), blood pressure (finger photoplethysmography) and heart rate (electrocardiogram) on a beat-by-beat basis in 14 obese (body mass index = 36.2 ± 1.7 kg m(-2)) and 14 lean (body mass index = 21.6 ± 0.7 kg m(-2)) young (18-40 years) adults. Percent changes from baseline in forearm vascular conductance (FVC(%) ) were calculated in response to single, brief forearm contractions performed in random order at 15, 20, 25, 30, 40 and 50% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). RESULTS: In both groups, each single contraction evoked a significant (P < 0.05), immediate (within one cardiac cycle) and graded FVC(%) increase from one up to six cardiac cycles post-contraction. Immediate (20-50% MVC), peak (15-50% MVC) and total (area under the curve, 20-50% MVC) vasodilatory responses were reduced with obesity. The degree of impaired vasodilatation increased with increasing workloads. CONCLUSIONS: These novel findings demonstrate a blunted contraction-induced rapid onset vasodilatation with obesity that is exercise intensity dependent. Impaired rapid onset vasodilatation may negatively impact haemodynamic responses to everyday intermittent activities performed by obese humans.

A new modeling of the overlapping T wave for the efficient estimation of the P-R intervals during exercise and recovery.

The analysis of the heart period series is a difficult task especially under graded exercise conditions. Having a good tool to characterize the P-R and R-R intervals, i.e. a good method of time delay estimation, would carry out a better knowledge of the neural activity during exercise and recovery in the field of pacemaker's design. Unfortunately, for the P-R intervals, the problem of estimation has been rarely addressed. In this paper, we propose a new method for estimating the P-R intervals based on an iterative Maximum-Likelihood approach. The main contribution is to take into account the overlapping T wave on ECG recorded during exercise. The goal of this study is to compute a model of the T wave which overlaps the P wave and then to cancel this influence before the determination of the P-R intervals.

Assessment of ventilatory thresholds during graded and maximal exercise test using time varying analysis of respiratory sinus arrhythmia.

OBJECTIVE: To test whether ventilatory thresholds, measured during an exercise test, could be assessed using time varying analysis of respiratory sinus arrhythmia frequency (f(RSA)). METHODS: Fourteen sedentary subjects and 12 endurance athletes performed a graded and maximal exercise test on a cycle ergometer: initial load 75 W (sedentary subjects) and 150 W (athletes), increments 37.5 W/2 min. f(RSA) was extracted from heart period series using an evolutive model. First (T(V1)) and second (T(V2)) ventilatory thresholds were determined from the time course curves of ventilation and ventilatory equivalents for O(2) and CO(2). RESULTS: f(RSA) was accurately extracted from all recordings and positively correlated to respiratory frequency (r = 0.96 (0.03), p<0.01). In 21 of the 26 subjects, two successive non-linear increases were determined in f(RSA), defining the first (T(RSA1)) and second (T(RSA2)) f(RSA) thresholds. When expressed as a function of power, T(RSA1) and T(RSA2) were not significantly different from and closely linked to T(V1) (r = 0.99, p<0.001) and T(V2) (r = 0.99, p<0.001), respectively. In the five remaining subjects, only one non-linear increase was observed close to T(V2). Significant differences (p<0.04) were found between athlete and sedentary groups when T(RSA1) and T(RSA2) were expressed in terms of absolute and relative power and percentage of maximal aerobic power. In the sedentary group, T(RSA1) and T(RSA2) were 150.3 (18.7) W and 198.3 (28.8) W, respectively, whereas in the athlete group T(RSA1) and T(RSA2) were 247.3 (32.8) W and 316.0 (28.8) W, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Dynamic analysis of f(RSA) provides a useful tool for identifying ventilatory thresholds during graded and maximal exercise test in sedentary subjects and athletes.

Meta-modelling: the appropriate solution for a family of applications.

The aim of this paper is to present an appropriate framework able to generate models and to implement them, in the objective of computerizing a family of medico-technical reports. The accelerated rate of technical development makes it necessary to design computerized applications independently of data-processing technology. This apparent paradox is a quite real challenge which needs research and development software environments to support frameworks. In this article, we present a meta-model (i.e. a generic structure - supported by the Méta-Gen software tool) ) which is able to generate various models of medico-technical reports. These models in turn are able to generate various types of instances. This meta-model is a "Meta-medical record", it is constituted of basic concepts : " User Semantic Group " to which are attached a set of " sentence-type ", a set of several corpus of variables with a set of graphs ("navigators"). Five models (echocardiography for hospital "A", echocardiography for hospital "B", gastroscopy, fibercoloscopy A.E.P.). were already generated from this "Meta-Medical Record". A beginning of implementation in echocardiography report is presented here. The advantages are a very thorough personalization of the document for the user, and a greater independence of the design diagram from the technological platform.

Validation of 213Bi-alpha radioimmunotherapy for multiple myeloma.

The efficacy of radioimmunotherapy (RIT) with beta emitters has been clinically demonstrated in the treatment of refractory forms of lymphoma. Alpha-emitting radionuclides with a short half-life are also good potential candidates for RIT directed at tumor targets easily accessible to radioimmunoconjugate molecules and small enough to benefit from the short range of alpha particles (<100 microm). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of ex vivo purging of multiple myeloma-invaded bone marrow. Tumor cells were targeted by a specific monoclonal antibody (B-B4) coupled to 213Bi by a chelating agent (pentaacetic triamine diethylene p-aminobenzyl acid). The efficacy of alpha-RIT was assessed in vitro by analysis of thymidine incorporation, cell mortality, apoptosis of myeloma cells, and the study of nonspecific irradiation of hematopoietic cell lines not recognized by B-B4-pentaacetic triamine diethylene p-aminobenzyl acid immunoconjugate. High dose-dependent cell mortality of myeloma cells was found with radiolabeled B-B4, and this mortality was total at 30 kBq/10(5) cells. Cells were found in apoptotic state at rates of up to 40% for a dose of 7.4 kBq/10(5) cells. Nonspecific mortality was low compared with specific mortality (up to 1%).

Discrimination of DNA binding sites by mutant p53 proteins.

Critical determinants of DNA recognition by p53 have been identified by a molecular genetic approach. The wild-type human p53 fragment containing amino acids 71 to 330 (p53(71-330)) was used for in vitro DNA binding assays, and full-length human p53 was used for transactivation assays with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. First, we defined the DNA binding specificity of the wild-type p53 fragment by using systematically altered forms of a known consensus DNA site. This refinement indicates that p53 binds with high affinity to two repeats of PuGPuCA.TGPyCPy, a further refinement of an earlier defined consensus half site PuPuPuC(A/T).(T/A) GPyPyPy. These results were further confirmed by transactivation assays of yeast by using full-length human p53 and systematically altered DNA sites. Dimers of the pentamer AGGCA oriented either head-to-head or tail-to-tail bound efficiently, but transactivation was facilitated only through head-to-head dimers. To determine the origins of specificity in DNA binding by p53, we identified mutations that lead to altered specificities of DNA binding. Single-amino-acid substitutions were made at several positions within the DNA binding domain of p53, and this set of p53 point mutants were tested with DNA site variants for DNA binding. DNA binding analyses showed that the mutants Lys-120 to Asn, Cys-277 to Gln or Arg, and Arg-283 to Gln bind to sites with noncanonical base pair changes at positions 2, 3, and 1 in the pentamer (PuGPuCA), respectively. Thus, we implicate these residues in amino acid-base pair contacts. Interestingly, mutant Cys-277 to Gln bound a consensus site as two and four monomers, as opposed to the wild-type p53 fragment, which invariably binds this site as four monomers.

Distinct residues of human p53 implicated in binding to DNA, simian virus 40 large T antigen, 53BP1, and 53BP2.

We identified a minimal domain of human p53 required for the transactivation of a p53 response element in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This domain contains the central region of p53 sufficient for specific DNA binding, which colocalizes with the region responsible for binding simian virus 40 large T antigen, 53BP1, and 53BP2. Thirty amino acid positions, including natural mutational hot spots (R175, R213, R248, R249, and R273), in the minimal DNA-binding domain were mutated by alanine substitution. Alanine substitutions at positions R213, R248, R249, D281, R282, R283, E286, and N288 affected transactivation but allowed binding to at least one of the three interacting proteins; these amino acids may be involved in amino acid-base pair contacts. Surprisingly, alanine substitution at the mutational hot spot R175 did not affect DNA binding, transactivation, or T-antigen binding, although it nearly eliminated binding to 53BP1 and 53BP2. Mutation of H168 significantly affected only T-antigen binding, and mutation of E285 affected only 53BP1 binding. Thus, we implicate specific residues of p53 in different DNA and protein interactions.

Starting a peer counseling program in the high school.

Peer counseling has become more prevalent in high schools and junior high schools across the country. When reviewing the various programs, it was discovered that they fall into two general categories based on the program's purpose and group composition. The two basic models can be described as students trained to help troubled students in their school (open), and troubled students trained to help themselves (closed). The terms open and closed were chosen to distinguish the two models because these terms describe whether or not the group's focus and objectives are closed or open to students outside the group. The purpose of this article is to give a practical, working description of the open model as implemented in a large, suburban high school.

The use of objectively scorable House-Tree-Person indicators to establish child abuse.

Conducted a study to determine whether the House-Tree-Person Test might be used as a means to identify physically abused children. Protocols of 32 abused children, 32 nonabused but disturbed children, and 45 apparently very well-adjusted children were examined for the presence of 15 objectively scorable items that emerged as good potential discriminators from a pilot study of 60 children. Results of several statistical analyses indicated (a) that items taken individually discriminate strongly between abused and well-adjusted children, but not between abused and nonabused but disturbed children; and (b) that items used collectively, specifically a 6-item test that comprised the 6 most discriminating individual items, discriminate reasonably well between abused children and both of the other two groups. Based on these results, this 6-item test is proposed for use by child care professionals in attempting to identify abused children.

[Shunt glomerulonephritis: clinical and histopathological manifestations]. / La glomérulonéphrite de shunt: manifestations cliniques et histopathologiques.

In patients with cerebrospinal fluid internal shunts, immune complex glomerulonephritis sometimes develops. Of two new cases the first was classic, while the second was in an adult who had had a ventriculoatril shunt for 8 years; furthermore, the patient had acute renal failure and is the first to have been reported to have Peptococcus septicemia. Shunt glomerulonephritis is characterized by the following: (a) its occurrence following, most often, Staphylococcus albus infection in a patient who usually has a ventriculoatrial shunt; (b) transitory improvement of the symptoms by antibiotherapy only; and (c) full recovery if the prosthesis is removed. Laboratory studies show a low serum concentration of the C3 component of complement, the presence of cryoglobulins and a positive rheumatoid factor test. These abnormalities are reversible with removal of the prosthesis. Optical microscopy of a renal biopsy specimen in the two cases showed cellular proliferation of the glomerular tuft, electron microscopy demonstrated subepithelial deposits and immunofluorescent studies revealed intramembranous and intramesangial immune complexes. These features are similar to those observed in experimental nephritis induced in animals by foreign protein.