Experimental equalization of polarization dispersion

A demonstration of the equalization of polarization dispersion in a direct-detection lightwave system is described. Polarization-maintaining fiber was used to generate first-order polarization dispersion, and equalization was achieved by a manually adjustable, analog tapped delay line that equalized the baseband electrical signal at the receiver. At a 1.1 Gb/s rate, a two-tap equalizer reduced the intersymbol interference due to polarization dispersion by more than 20 dB, eliminating a 3-dB eye-closure penalty. The error rate was reduced from 10^-6 to below 10^-9     

Influence of cortisol and dexamethasone on estrous behavior of estradiol-treated ovariectomized cows and heifers

Two experiments were conducted with estradiol-treated ovariectomized cows and heifers to determine if cortisol and dexamethasone inhibit estrous behavior. In Experiment 1, eight ovariectomized Holstein cows were subjected to weekly hormonal treatments in a replicated 4 X 4 Latin square. Treatments consisted of 500 micrograms estradiol benzoate and either 0, 40, 80, or 160 mg cortisol. During the 48 h after hormonal injection, 2-h periods of observation were alternated with 2-h periods of no observation. During each observation period, cows were observed continuously for 14 behavioral interactions that increase in frequency at estrus. Percentage of cows exhibiting estrus, interval from injection of hormones to the onset of estrus, duration of estrus, and total numbers of each behavioral interaction were similar for all treatments. In Experiment 2, 10 ovariectomized Holstein heifers were subjected to weekly hormonal treatments in a replicated 5 X 5 Latin square. Treatments consisted of 500 micrograms estradiol benzoate and either 4 mg dexamethasone, 0, 50, 100, or 200 mg cortisol. The estradiol benzoate plus dexamethasone treatment tended to lower the percentage of cattle exhibiting estrus. Interval from injection to onset of estrus, duration of estrus, and total numbers of each behavioral interaction were similar for all treatments. These data indicate that cortisol given with estradiol did not inhibit estrus in ovariectomized cows and heifers, whereas dexamethasone tended to inhibit induced estrus.     

Lipolytic sensitivity and response to fasting in normotensive and hypertensive obese humans

Obese persons with hypertension are at greater risk for diabetes and hyperlipidemia than normotensive obese persons. It has been postulated that increased lipolytic rates contribute to these metabolic diseases. Therefore, we evaluated the glycerol rate of appearance (Ra) in plasma, an index of whole-body lipolytic activity, during basal conditions and during 60 minutes of epinephrine infusion after 12 and 84 hours of fasting in six normotensive (body mass index [BMI], 39.9 +/- 1.8 kg/m2) and six hypertensive (BMI, 38.7 +/- 1.6 kg/m2) obese persons. Basal glycerol Ra was lower in hypertensive than in normotensive subjects at both 12 hours (1.58 +/- 0.21 v 2.27 +/- 0.28 mumol/kg/min, respectively; P < .01) and 84 hours (2.04 +/- 0.06 v 2.50 +/- 0.13 mumol/kg/min, respectively; P < .01) of fasting. Peak glycerol Ra during epinephrine infusion after 84 hours of fasting (5.69 +/- 0.72 and 11.40 +/- 0.78 mumol/kg/min for hypertensive and normotensive subjects, respectively) was significantly greater than at 12 hours (3.09 +/- 0.29 and 5.06 +/- 0.69 mumol/kg/min) in both hypertensive and normotensive subjects. However, peak glycerol Ra was lower in hypertensive than in normotensive subjects after 12 and 84 hours of fasting (P < .01 for 84 hours). We conclude that hypertension in obese persons is associated with a decrease in both basal lipolytic rates and lipolytic sensitivity to epinephrine infusion.     

Local-circuit neurones in the medial prefrontal cortex (areas 25, 32 and 24b) in the rat: morphology and quantitative distribution

This paper is a light microscopical study describing the detailed morphology and quantitative distribution of local circuit neurones in areas 25, 32, and 24b of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in the rat. Cortical interneurones were identified immunocytochemically by their expression of calretinin (CR), parvalbumin (PV), and calbindin D-28k (CB) immunoreactivity. Neurones immunoreactive for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were also investigated, as were interneurones containing reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) diaphorase activity. Several distinct classes of CR+, PV+, and CB+ neurones were identified; the most frequent were: bipolar/bitufted CR+ cells in upper layer 3; multipolar PV+ neurones in layers 3 and 5; and bitufted/multipolar CB+ neurones in lower layer 3. CB+ neurones resembling Martinotti and neurogliaform cells were also present in layers 5/6. The morphologies and depth distributions of each cell type were consistent across the three areas of mPFC studied. Seven classes of diaphorase-reactive mPFC neurone are described; these cells were composed about 0.8% of the total neurone population and had a peak distribution located in mid- to lower layer 5 in each area. In areas 32 and 25, three defined bands of diffuse NADPH diaphorase staining were located in layer 2 and in upper and deep layer 5. Diaphorase reactivity was very infrequently colocalised with either CR, PV, or CB immunoreactivities. The numerical densities of neurones (N(V), number of cells per mm3) in each layer were calculated stereologically. The mean total neuronal N(V) estimate for areas 25, 32, and 24b was 51,603 +/- 3,324 (mean +/- S.D.; n = 8). Significant interareal differences were detected. From cortical thickness data and neuronal N(V) estimates, the absolute number of neurones under 1 mm2 of cortical surface (N(C)) have been derived. The mean N(C) value for areas 25, 32, and 24b was 57,328 +/- 7,505 neurones. In immunolabelled Nissl-stained sections, CR+ neurones constituted an overall 4.0%, PV+ cells 5.6%, and CB+ 3.4% of the total neurone populations in mPFC. GABA+ cells represented a mean of 16.2% (14.8-17.2%) of neurones in areas 25, 32 and 24b. The absolute numbers of CR+, PV+, CB+, and GABA+ neurones within individual layers in a column of cortex under 1 mm2 of cortical surface (N(L)) have also been derived, with significant interareal differences in N(L) values being detected. The data provide the structural basis for a qualitative and quantitative definition of local cortical circuits in the rat mPFC.     

Intensive weekly chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer using fluorouracil, cisplatin, epi-doxorubicin, 6S-leucovorin, glutathione, and filgrastim: a report from the Italian Group for the Study of Digestive Tract Cancer

PURPOSE: A multiinstitutional trial was performed to confirm the clinical activity, in terms of response rate and toxicity (primary objectives) and duration of responses and survival (secondary objectives), of an intensive weekly regimen in advanced gastric cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with measurable unresectable and/or metastatic gastric carcinoma received 1-day per week administration of cisplatin (CDDP) 40 mg/m2, fluorouracil (5FU) 500 mg/m2, epi-doxorubicin (epi-ADR) 35 mg/m2, 6S-stereoisomer of leucovorin 250 mg/m2, and glutathione 1.5 g/m2. On the other days, filgrastim was administered by subcutaneous injection at a dose of 5 mg/kg. One cycle of therapy consisted of eight 1-week treatments. Patients who showed a response or stable disease received a further 6 weeks of therapy. RESULTS: Of 105 enrolled patients, 11 had locally advanced unresectable disease only; 33 had primary nonresected and metastatic disease; 48 had metastatic disease and primary tumor resected; 10 had locoregional recurrence and metastatic disease; and three had locoregional recurrence only. After one cycle, 18 complete responses (CRs) and 47 partial responses (PRs) were achieved, for an overall response rate of 62% (95% confidence interval [CI], 53% to 71%). Twenty patients had stable disease and 20 progressed on therapy. The median survival duration of all 105 patients was 11 months, with 1- and 2-year survival rates of 42% and 5%, respectively. World Health Organization (WHO) grade III to IV toxicity, in terms of anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and mucositis, was experienced by 40 patients (38%). There were no treatment-related deaths. CONCLUSION: These data support the results of the pilot study and confirmed the high activity of the regimen, with acceptable toxicity. This schedule deserves evaluation in the adjuvant setting.     

Mania and low self-esteem.

Tested the theory that although bipolar patients do not report low self-esteem, they do possess a cognitive schema of low self-esteem. 16 remitted bipolars (mean age 47.4 yrs), 16 remitted depressives (mean age 42.1 yrs), and 16 normals (mean age 43.4 yrs) completed a self-report battery consisting of the Self-Report Inventory, the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, and a measure of self-deception. Ss also completed a task designed to assess whether self-esteem influenced inferences about the causes of imagined events. Results show that remitted bipolars scored the same as normals and higher than remitted depressives on self-esteem, and they scored higher than the other groups on both social desirability and self-deception. Remitted bipolars' inferences about the causes of failures resembled those of a depressive, suggesting the presence of a low self-worth schema. Data are consistent with the view that bipolar patients have negative feelings of self that are not revealed on usual self-report inventories. Because remitted depressives showed a depressive attributional style on the inference task, issues concerning the mood dependence of depressive cognitions are discussed. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)