Exploring the optimal experimental setup for surface flow velocity measurements using PTV.

Advances in flow monitoring are crucial to increase our knowledge on basin hydrology and to understand the interactions between flow dynamics and infrastructures. In this context, image processing offers great potential for hydraulic monitoring, allowing acquisition of a wide range of measurements with high spatial resolution at relatively low costs. In particular, the particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) algorithm can be used to describe the dynamics of surface flow velocity in both space and time using fixed cameras or unmanned aerial systems (UASs). In this study, analyses allowed exploration of the optimal particle seeding density and frame rate in different configurations. Numerical results provided useful indications for two field experiments that have been carried out with a low-cost quadrocopter equipped with an optical camera to record RGB videos of floating tracers manually distributed over the water surface. Field measurements have been carried out using different natural tracers under diverse hydraulic and morphological conditions; PTV's processed velocities have been subsequently benchmarked with current meter measurements. The numerical results allowed rapid identification of the experimental configuration (e.g., required particle seeding density, image resolution, particle size, and frame frequency) producing flow velocity fields with high resolution in time and space with good agreement with the benchmark velocity values measured with conventional instruments.

Decreased levels of beta-endorphin in circulating mononuclear leukocytes from patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Lymphocytes can be activated to produce and release opioid peptides. We investigated the levels of immunoreactive beta-endorphin in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 11 patients with acute myocardial infarction. The concentrations of beta-endorphin in mononuclear leukocytes of 30.2 +/- 6.9 pg/10(6) cells on admission were in the normal range of 20-40 pg/10(6) cells and decreased significantly to 6.9 +/- 1.9 pg/10(6) cells after 48 h (p < 0.05). Decreased levels of mononuclear leukocyte-associated beta-endorphin in acute myocardial infarction may be due to the release of endogenous opioid after stimulation by stress and acute-phase reactants and play a role in inflammation and pain.

Phase I multicenter trial of interleukin 6 therapy after autologous bone marrow transplantation in advanced breast cancer.

Our purpose was to determine the maximum tolerated dosage of rhIL-6 after high-dose cytotoxic chemotherapy and autologous BMT in patients with advanced breast cancer. Twenty patients (median age 43.5 years) received either CY and thiotepa (n = 3) or CY, thiotepa and carboplatin (n = 17) for 4 days. Unpurged autologous BM was reinfused 72 h later. Daily rhIL-6 therapy began the day of marrow infusion and continued until recovery of neutrophils (> or = 1.5 x 10(9)/l) and platelets (> or = 50 x 10(9)/l) or for a maximum of 28 days at a dosage of 0.3 microgram/kg/day (n = 7), 1 microgram/kg/day (n = 6) or 3 micrograms/kg/day (n = 7). Two of the initial 4 patients given rhIL-6 at 0.3 mu/kg i.v. experienced grade 4 hyperbilirubinemia, so subsequent patients received s.c. rhIL-6. Most toxicities attributable to rhIL-6 were reversible or mild constitutional symptoms, but dose-limiting grade 4 hyperbilirubinemia also occurred in 3 of the 7 patients receiving the 3 micrograms/kg dose. At the 0.3 and 1 microgram/kg/day doses, 8 of 13 patients completed the study vs. only 2 of 7 at the 3 micrograms/kg/day dose. During rhIL-6 treatment, neutrophil recovery (> or = 500 x 10(6)/l) occurred in 12 patients and platelet recovery (> or = 20 x 10(9)/l) occurred in 6 patients, 5 of whom received the 0.3 or 1 microgram/kg/day s.c. dose. The maximal tolerated dose of rhIL-6 after autologous BMT appeared to be 1 microgram/kg/day s.c., a dose appreciably lower than the maximal tolerated dose after conventional cytotoxic therapy.

A phase I trial of recombinant human interleukin-6 in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and thrombocytopenia.

To evaluate the hematologic effects of recombinant human interleukin-6 (rhIL-6, Escherichia coli, SDZ ILS 969, IL-6), and determine its toxicity profile, we performed a phase I trial of IL-6 in 22 patients with various myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), platelet counts < 100,000/microL, and < 5% bone marrow (BM) blasts. Patients received one of four doses of IL-6 (1.0, 2.5, 3.75, and 5.0 micrograms/kg/d) as a subcutaneous injection on day 1, followed by a 7-day wash-out period, and then 28 days of IL-6 therapy. Dose-limiting toxicities of fatigue, fever, and elevated alkaline phosphatase were seen at 5.0 micrograms/kg/d; the maximum tolerated dose was 3.75 micrograms/kg/d. All patients experienced at least grade II fever and all had an increase in acute phase proteins. Eight patients (36%) experienced at least a transient improvement in platelet counts; three fulfilled the criteria for response, whereas five others had clinically significant increases that failed to meet response criteria. Various IL-6-related toxicities prevented more than three patients from receiving maintenance therapy. Two of the three patients who received maintenance IL-6 therapy had a persistent increase in platelet counts, during 3 and 12 months of IL-6 therapy, respectively. Laboratory studies indicated that IL-6 increased the frequency of higher ploidy megakaryocytes but did not significantly increase the number of assayable megakaryocytic progenitor cells, suggesting that IL-6 acts as a maturational agent rather than a megakaryocyte colony-stimulating factor. Although IL-6 therapy can promote thrombopoiesis in some MDS patients, its limited activity and significant therapy-related toxicity preclude its use as a single agent in this patient population. Further studies, combining low doses of IL-6 with other hematopoietic growth factors, are underway.