Depth-resolved water temperature measurements using Raman LiDAR.

We present the retrieval of depth-resolved temperature measurements in water using Raman LiDAR. Using a 5 m pipe of laboratory water, we recover non-homogeneous temperature profiles with a temperature accuracy ranging between 0.35°C and 0.85°C, and a position resolution of 28 cm.

A patient with oxaliplatin immune-induced syndrome (OIIS) who also developed leucovorin and palonosetron-associated thrombocytopenia.

OBJECTIVES: We report a case of an 83 year old man who developed oxaliplatin immune-induced syndrome (OIIS) after his 19th cycle of FOLFOX (5FU, leucovorin, oxaliplatin). When oxaliplatin was omitted from his next cycle of chemotherapy he continues to show signs of drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia (DITP) and was found to have drug-dependent, platelet-reactive antibodies (DDPA) to leucovorin and palonosetron as well as oxaliplatin. METHODS: The patient was admitted for monitoring but required no transfusions and thrombocytopenia resolved without treatment during his first admission. Drug-dependent antibody testing was performed on his blood by the Blood Center of Wisconsin (Diagnostic Laboratories; Milwaukee, WI). RESULTS: No RBC or platelet IgG or IgM antibodies were detected in the absence of any drugs, but upon addition of palonosetron, leucovorin, or oxaliplatin, the tests became strongly positive for anti-RBC IgG and anti-platelet IgG antibodies. DISCUSSION: Repeated administration of oxaliplatin can result in drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia (DITP) or autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). This phenomenon has recently been termed OIIS and may additionally include Evan's syndrome or thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Here we describe a patient who developed OIIS with drug-dependent, platelet-reactive antibodies (DDPA) to leucovorin and palonosetron. To our knowledge, these two drugs have never been described in the literature as a cause of DDPA. We suggest that OIIS in addition to oxaliplatin-induced thrombocytopenia may be associated with the development of DDPAs to other drugs causing clinically significant thrombocytopenia which is important to recognize and manage with discontinuation of provoking agents.

The Pigment in Alkaptonuria Relationship to Melanin and Other Coloured Substances: A Review of Metabolism, Composition and Chemical Analysis.

The pigments found in plants, animals and humic substances are well described and classified. In humans considerable progress has been made with the main pigment melanin in defining its biochemistry, the different types and function. However, analytical techniques to show these differences in vivo are still not readily available. NMR and IR spectroscopy are relatively insensitive and reveal only major structural differences. Techniques utilising MS are useful in determining elemental content but require further studies to optimise conditions for accurate mass analysis. How the components may be structurally organised seems to be the most problematic with scanning TEM and the improved FTIR of use in this respect. As regards understanding the nature of the pigment related to HGA seen in patients with Alkaptonuria (AKU), it is still thought of as a melaninlike pigment simply because of its colour and likewise thought to be a polymer of undetermined size. It is important that detailed analysis be carried out to define more accurately this pigment. However, observations suggest it to be the same as the HGA-derived pigment, pyomelanin, produced by bacteria and containing both quinone and phenolic groups. The interesting developments in alkaptonuria will be to understand how such a polymer can cause such profound collagen and connective tissue damage and how best to reverse this process.

Evidence for a possible role for nitric oxide in the modulation of heart activity in Achatina fulica and Helix aspersa.

The effects of nitric oxide (NO) donors, S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine, S-nitroso-l-glutathione, sodium nitroprusside and sodium nitrite were investigated on the activity of the isolated hearts of Achatina fulica and Helix aspersa. NO donors inhibited heart activity in a concentration-dependent manner. The only exception was sodium nitroprusside, which excited H. aspersa heart. The inhibitory effects of these NO donors were reduced by the NO scavenger, methylene blue, the guanylyl cyclase inhibitor, 1H-(1,2,4) Oxadiazolo(4,3-a)quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), and potentiated by 8-Br-cGMP and the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX). Acetylcholine also inhibited the heart activity, and this inhibition was reduced by methylene blue and ODQ. Positive NADPH-diaphorase staining was located in the outer pericardial layer of the heart of A. fulica. The present results provide evidence that NO may modulate the activity of gastropod hearts, and this modulation may modify the inhibitory action of acetylcholine on heart activity.

Androgen regulates MMTV RNA in the short-term in S115 mouse mammary tumour cells.

This report demonstrates that androgens as well as glucocorticoids can regulate MMTV RNA production in the short term. In S115 mouse mammary tumour cells, MMTV RNA accumulation is regulated within hours by androgen, at a time before any increase in DNA synthesis can be detected, thus providing a marker of an early postreceptor molecular event in steroid action on these cells. Androgen acts via its own receptor and not by cross-binding to the glucocorticoid receptor. The effects are at transcription and not just on stabilisation of RNA because they are blocked by actinomycin D. However, the androgen action shows some partial dependence on simultaneous protein synthesis since cycloheximide is inhibitory. The androgen regulation of MMTV RNA is compared and contrasted with that by glucocorticoids in these cells.

Controlled stimulation of magnetospheric electrons by radio waves: experimental model for lightning effects.

Magnetospheric electrons precipitated by ground-based coded very low frequency radio transmissions have been detected by rocket measurement of bremsstrahlung x-rays, caused by impact of the electrons with the upper atmosphere. The direct correlations obtained between the very low frequency signals and the x-rays demonstrate the limits of sensitivity required and indicate that this remote sensing technique would be useful for future study of very low frequency effects induced by single lightning strokes.