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Motivated by recent investigations [9, 10] on the notion of recurrence in linear dynamics, we deepen into the notions of recurrence and frequent recurrence in the setting of dissipative composition operators with bounded distortion, a class of linear operators which includes backward shifts. Among other results, we show that these two notions are, actually, equivalent to those of hypercyclicity and frequent hypercyclicity, respectively. More particularly, we improve [9, Theorem 5.2] and, also, provide a partial answer to an open question posed in [9, Question 5.3].

Diabetic retinopathy and acromegaly are diseases associated with excess action of GH and its effector IGF-I, and there is a need for improved therapies. We have designed an optimised 2'-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-modified phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide, ATL 227446, and demonstrated its ability to suppress GH receptor mRNA in vitro. Subcutaneous injections of ATL 227446 reduced GH receptor mRNA levels, GH binding activity and serum IGF-I levels in mice after seven days of dosing. The reduction in serum IGF-I could be sustained for over ten weeks of dosing at therapeutically relevant levels, during which there was also a significant decrease in body weight gain in antisense-treated mice relative to saline and mismatch control-treated mice. The findings indicate that administration of an antisense oligonucleotide to the GH receptor may be applicable to human diseases in which suppression of GH action provides therapeutic benefit.

Diabetic retinopathy and acromegaly are diseases associated with excess action of GH and its effector IGF-I, and there is a need for improved therapies. We have designed an optimised 2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-modified phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide, ATL 227446, and demonstrated its ability to suppress GH receptor mRNA in vitro.Subcutaneous injections of ATL 227446 reduced GH receptor mRNA levels, GH binding activity and serum IGF-I levels in mice after seven days of dosing. The reduction in serum IGF-I could be sustained for over ten weeks of dosing at therapeutically relevant levels, during which there was also a significant decrease in body weight gain in antisense-treated mice relative to saline and mismatch control-treated mice. The findings indicate that administration of an antisense oligonucleotide to the GH receptor may be applicable to human diseases in which suppression of GH action provides therapeutic benefit.

Carotid–jugular fistula is an abnormal connection between the carotid artery and/or its branches and jugular vein. It can develop either because of trauma or spontaneous causes. Traumatic fistula may occur after head injuries and can range from minor falls to severe penetrating wounds. Traumatic fistula may also result from endovascular therapy; however, these fistulas may be congenital arteriovenous connections that open spontaneously in the setting of collagen vascular disease, atherosclerotic disease, hypertension, or childbirth. Spontaneous fistulas between internal carotid artery and internal jugular vein are very exceptional diseases; therefore, this case is presented for its rare incidence in literature.

The "long pentraxins" are an emerging family of genes that have conserved in their carboxy-terminal halves a pentraxin domain homologous to the prototypical acute phase protein pentraxins (C-reactive protein and serum amyloid P component) and acquired novel amino-terminal domains. In this report, a genomic fragment of 1371 nucleotides from the human "long pentraxin" gene PTX3 is characterized as a promoter on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) and interleukin (IL)-1beta exposure in transfected 8387 human fibroblasts by chloramphenicol acetyltransferase and RNase protection assays. In the same cells, the PTX3 promoter does not respond to IL-6 stimulation. Furthermore, IL-1beta and TNFalpha responsiveness is not seen in the Hep 3B hepatoma cell line. The minimal promoter contains one NF-kappaB element which is shown to be necessary for induction and able to bind p50 homodimers and p65 heterodimers but not c-Rel. Mutants in this site lose the ability to bind NF-kappaB proteins and to respond to TNFalpha and IL-1beta in functional assays. Sp1- and AP-1 binding sites lying in proximity to the NF-kappaB site do not seem to play a major role for cytokine responsiveness. Finally, cotransfection experiments with expression vectors validate that the natural promoter contains a functional NF-kappaB site.

Let Aand Bbe fields of subsets of a setXand let μ: A→Rand ν: B→Rbe bounded, finitely additive measures (i.e., charges). We give global necessary and sufficient conditions on Aand Bunder which any bounded, consistent charges μ and ν have a bounded common extension. Conditions on Aand Bare given under which any 0–1 valued charges μ and ν have an integer valued common extension. Our results, together with Example 4.4infra, serve to answer open questions left unresolved by A. Basile, K. P. S. Bhaskara Rao, and R. M. Shortt (Proc. Amer. Math. Soc.121,1994, 137–143), and thereby end a line of enquiry begun by Z. Lipecki (Czechoslovak Math. J.36,1986, 489–494).