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Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection is quickly countered by the host immune system; but, the pathogen is never eradicated. In this infection, 10% of infections are considered as open tuberculosis, while the remaining 90% are becoming latent, a state that can persist in the host for decades until immune control is lost. To date, more than 350 plant species have been studied in mycobacterial research.

The issues related to the simulation of specific absorption rate (SAR) in a high frequency magnetic resonance coil are discussed in this work. Using simulation results, it is shown that the effect of the nonimaging modes on SAR can be substantial and thus must be taken into account. Also a technique for the estimation of SAR for coils with complicated geometry is presented. The presented technique will be useful in cases where the conventional finite difference time domain simulation is not practical because of large memory requirement and/or excessively long computation time. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part B (Magn Reson Engineering) 31B: 133–139, 2007

The effect of carbon dioxide (CO2) sorption on the lower critical solution temperatures of deuterated polybutadiene/polyisoprene blends was determined with in situ small-angle neutron scattering. CO2 was a poor solvent for both polymers and exhibited very weak selectivity between the blend components. The sorption of modest concentrations of CO2, at pressures up to 160 bar, induced phase segregation at temperatures well below the binary-phase-separation temperature and caused an increased asymmetry in the lower critical solution temperature curve. The origin of solvent-induced phase segregation in this weakly interacting polymer blend system was attributed predominantly to an exacerbation of the existing disparity in the compressibility of the components upon CO2 sorption. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 3114–3126, 2003

Combinatorial chemistry using split and pool synthesis involves making and testing mixtures of compounds in pools which are subsets of the larger compound collection. These subsets are created during the synthesis of the collection through a resin splitting and mixing method. Tests are conducted on each of the final pools of mixtures and the individual compounds within a mixture of interest are then identified through some deconvolution scheme, originally involving selective re-synthesis. It is possible that different schemes for splitting and mixing will have different consequences on the overall effort necessary to deconvolute interesting mixtures. The evaluation of different protocols of splitting and mixing involves consideration of more possibilities than can be exhaustively or optimally determined manually in a realistic time frame for most compound collections. We present herein a computational scheme to aid in this analysis. The approach exhaustively examines possible splitting and mixing strategies for the interrelated values of total library size, number of combinatorial steps, number of reaction vessels, and number of compounds per final pool. Weighting factors may be introduced into the various steps. The resulting complete list of splitting and mixing options is scored based on a variable weighting strategy for the total effort of synthesis and deconvolution. The results indicate the splitting/mixing strategy used has an impact on overall efficiency and should be considered in the design of compound libraries.

This phase II study was designed to utilize conformal radiation therapy with cisplatin and oral etoposide in patients with stage III or locally recurrent nonsmall-cell lung cancer to determine tolerance and toxicity of therapy. From April 1992–February 1996, 18 patients with pathologically confirmed stage IIIA, IIIB, or locally recurrent nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were entered on study. Metastatic workup included a CT scan of the thorax and upper abdomen as well as a bone scan. Chemotherapy consisted of IV cisplatin (100 mg/m²) with IV etoposide (25 mg/m²) on day 1; oral etoposide was given (50 mg/m²) days 2–14. Using three-dimensional planning, 40–45 Gy were delivered to the clinical target volume, followed by a boost to the gross tumor volume for a total of 70 Gy. Patients with recurrent disease received 40–50 Gy in total. Eighteen patients were enrolled: 16 patients were treated with curative intent and were evaluable for outcome. Two patients were treated for locally recurrent NSCLC and were not included in the outcome analysis. Stages included IIIA (44%) and stage IIIB (54%). Forty-four percent had T3/4 tumors, and 69% had N2/3 disease. Overall survival at 1 year was 64%, while 2-year overall survival was 50%. Distant metastasis-free survival at 1 year was 67%, and at 2 years 60%. The 1-year chest progression-free survival was 57%, and at 2 years 50%. Sixty-three percent required hospitalization for dehydration or neutropenia. Fifty-six percent developed leukopenia (<1,000 cells/μl) sometime during the therapy. We conclude that concurrent cisplatin and oral etoposide with conformal radiation therapy provide encouraging results in stage III lung cancer. The major toxicities of this therapy included leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and mucosal esophagitis. Local progression of disease continues to be a problem with the current doses given. Future studies should evaluate dose escalation of radiation therapy with limited volumes, utilizing conformal radiation and chemotherapy to improve local control and potentially impact upon distant metastases. Radiat. Oncol. Invest. 7:49–53, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The band 3 anion exchanger is located in the apical membrane of a β-intercalated clonal cell line, whereas the vacuolar H+-ATPase is present in the basolateral membrane. When these cells were seeded at confluent density, they converted to an α-phenotype, localizing each of these proteins to the opposite cell membrane domain. The reversal of polarity is induced by hensin, a 230-kDa extracellular matrix protein. Rabbit kidney hensin is a multidomain protein composed of eight SRCR (“scavenger receptor, cysteine rich”), two CUB (“C1r/C1s Uegf Bmp1”), and one ZP (“zona pellucida”) domain. Other proteins known to have these domains include CRP-ductin, a cDNA expressed at high levels in mouse intestine (8 SRCR, 5 CUB, 1 ZP), ebnerin, a protein cloned from a rat taste bud library (4 SRCR, 3 CUB, 1 ZP), and DMBT1, a sequence in human chromosome 10q25–26 frequently deleted in malignant gliomas (9 SRCR, 2 CUB, 1 ZP). Rabbit and mouse hensin genomic clones contained a new SRCR that was not found in hensin cDNA but was homologous to the first SRCR domain in DMBT1. Furthermore, the 3′-untranslated regions and the signal peptide of hensin were homologous to those of DMBT1. Mouse genomic hensin was localized to chromosome 7 band F4, which is syntenic to human 10q25–26. These data suggest that hensin and DMBT1 are alternatively spliced forms of the same gene. The analysis of mouse hensin bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) genomic clone by sequencing and Southern hybridization revealed that the gene also likely encodes CRP-ductin. A new antibody against the mouse SRCR1 domain recognized a protein in the mouse and rabbit brain but not in the immortalized cell line or kidney, whereas an antibody to SRCR6 and SRCR7 domains which are present in all the transcripts, recognized proteins in intestine, kidney, and brain from several species. The most likely interpretation of these data is that one gene produces at least three transcripts, namely, hensin, DMBT1, and CRP-ductin. Hensin may participate in determining the polarized phenotype of other epithelia and brain cells.

When an intercalated epithelial cell line was seeded at low density and allowed to reach confluence, it located the anion exchanger band 3 in the apical membrane and an H+-ATPase in the basolateral membrane. The same clonal cells seeded at high density targeted these proteins to the reverse location. Furthermore, high density cells had vigorous apical endocytosis, and low density cells had none. The extracellular matrix of high density cells was capable of inducing apical endocytosis and relocation of band 3 to the basolateral membrane in low density cells. A 230-kDa extracellular matrix (ECM) protein termed hensin, when purified to near-homogeneity, was able to reverse the phenotype of the low density cells. Antibodies to hensin prevented this effect, indicating that hensin is necessary for conversion of polarity. We show here that hensin was synthesized by both low density and high density cells. Whereas both phenotypes secreted soluble hensin into their media, only high density cells localized it in their ECM. Analysis of soluble hensin by sucrose density gradients showed that low density cells secreted monomeric hensin, and high density cells secreted higher order multimers. When 35S-labeled monomeric hensin was added to high density cells, they induced its aggregation suggesting that the multimerization was catalyzed by surface events in the high density cells. Soluble monomeric or multimeric hensin did not induce apical endocytosis in low density cells, whereas the more polymerized hensin isolated from insoluble ECM readily induced it. These multimers could be disaggregated by sulfhydryl reagents and by dimethylmaleic anhydride, and treatment of high density ECM by these reagents prevented the induction of endocytosis. These results demonstrate that hensin, like several ECM proteins, needs to be precipitated in the ECM to be functional.

For 11 consecutive prostate cancer patients undergoing three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) in our institution, penile structures (PNS) were outlined in CT images obtained for treatment planning purposes. Dose-volume histograms (DVHs) were compared in order to study dose-volume relations for three techniques: 4FLD, an axial coplanar, four-field box technique; 6FLD, a six-field coplanar technique; and 4NAX, a coplanar but non-axial, four-field technique. All three techniques delivered equal doses to the planning target volumes (PTV). Our statistical analyses strongly indicate that the three techniques can be ranked as 6FLD better than 4FLD (and 4FLD better than 4NAX) as far as irradiating PNS volume during treatment of prostate cancer (PC) is concerned. For each technique, there is a "spread" owing to differences in patient anatomy and/or target size, position, and extent, but each technique has a similar "profile" or "shape" distinct from other techniques. Whether irradiating smaller volumes of PNS will influence the sexual potency outcome remains to be demonstrated. However, PNS should be considered as another critical structure in addition to rectum, bladder and femoral heads in the radiotherapy (RT) of PC, especially in 3DCRT dose escalation studies. Sexual potency outcomes can be correlated to dose-volume relations in the future and this will help refine radiotherapy techniques further.

The physics behind the use of a negatively weighted beam to calculate the dose distribution under a midline block in computerized treatment planning systems is reviewed. To correctly reproduce the dose under the block, it is necessary and sufficient to know the relative dose at one reference depth on the central axis under the block. If the relative weight of the negative beam is then adjusted to produce agreement at that depth, good agreement can be obtained throughout. Comparisons between calculated and measured dose distributions under a midline block are presented for two therapy beams with 4MV and 6MV nominal energies.

Work aimed at justifying the requirement for a database as an aid to resource estimations for Ministry of Defence Procurement Executive software intensive projects is presented. The work consolidates an earlier study (Vijayakumar, S., 1991, 1994) and uses more recent data collected from 288 MOD projects. The research was initiated to identify and analyse the variables which influence the activities that constitute software development and which determine the cost of software. The earlier study concentrated on the choice of programming language. This study includes proprietary factors and identifies the correlation between the effort during development and the number of executable source lines of code. The recommendations centre on the urgent need to gather and collate data which will assist in the estimation of costs and timescales in procuring software intensive projects.

The collecting duct of the renal tubule contains two cell types, one of which, the intercalated cell, is responsible for acidification and alkalinization of urine. These cells exist in a multiplicity of morphological forms, with two extreme types, α and β. The former acidifies the urine by an apical proton-translocating ATPase and a basolateral Cl/HCO3exchanger, which is an alternately spliced form of band 3. This kidney form of band 3, kAE1, is present in the apical membrane of the β-cell, which has the H+-ATPase on the basolateral membrane. We had suggested previously that metabolic acidosis leads to conversion of β-types to α-types. To study the biochemical basis of this plasticity, we used an immortalized cell line of the β-cell and showed that these cells convert to the α-phenotype when plated at superconfluent density. At high density these cells localize a new protein, which we term “hensin,” to the extracellular matrix, and hensin acts as a molecular switch capable of changing the phenotype of these cells in vitro. Hensin induces new cytoskeletal proteins, makes the cells assume a more columnar shape and retargets kAE1 and the H+-ATPase. These recent studies suggest that the conversion of β- to α-cells, at least in vitro, bears many of the hallmarks of terminal differentiation.

By predicting treatment outcome to radiotherapy from in vitro radiobiological parameters, not only individual patient treatments can be tailored, but also new promising treatment protocols can be tried in patients in whom unfavorable outcome is predicted. In this respect, choosing the right parameter can be very important. Unlike D0 and N which provide information of the distal part of the survival curve, mean inactivation dose (Δ) estimates overall radiosensitivity. However, the parameters reflecting the response at the clinically relevant low-dose region are neglected in the literature. In a literature survey of 98 papers in which survival curves or D0/N were used, only in 2 Δ was used. In 21 papers the D0/N values were important in drawing conclusions. By calculating Δ in 3 of these 21 papers, we show that the conclusion drawn may be altered with the use of Δ. The importance of 'low-dose-region-parameters' is reviewed.

Road-based public transport in the cities of developing countries comes in a variety of physical and organizational forms. Many of these cities have a large component of unconventional or intermediate public transport (IPT). IPT often fills the gaps in service that cannot be provided by the operators of conventional public transport. The contrast in institutional framework between the operators of conventional vehicles and IPT is sharpened by the profitability of the two types; conventional buses, usually organized in large fleets and often run by the government, are seemingly difficult to maintain as a commercial enterprise whereas IPT which is usually privately owned in small fleets is profitable. A considerable debate has arisen over which type of public transport system (conventional or IPT) to encourage. The debate has often been confused because it involves two quite separate issues: whether the provision of public transport should be left entirely to private enterprise, and, the technical and economic benefits of different bus sizes. Size of vehicle is a particularly important issue in the developing world because vehicles of different size are in common use and are frequently in competition with one another. The purpose of this paper is to review and critically assess current research work on urban public transport with particular reference to vehicle size in the context of Third World conditions.

We present here a novel approach for the planning and treatment of a distal upper extremity soft tissue tumor. Utilizing computed tomography (CT) based electron dose calculations, a customized compensating wax bolus was designed in order to deliver sufficient dose coverage to the tumor volume while sparing the draining lymphatics of the patient’s hand and digits. A clinical case is presented as well as the design and construction of the compensator. Outcome and clinical implications are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to determine the safety, efficacy and impact on quality of life of recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) for cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT). An open-labelled randomized design was used, with patients randomized to either treatment or control arms. Patients in the treatment arm received r-HuEPO given by subcutaneous injection at a dose of 200 units kg(-1) day(-1) plus oral iron supplements (ferrous sulphate 325 mg p.o. t.i.d.). Entry was restricted to patients with carcinoma of the lung, uterine cervix, prostate or breast who presented for RT with anaemia parameters reflective of 'the anaemia of chronic disease'. Radiotherapy policies (portals, doses, fraction size, etc.) were determined by the site and stage of disease. Complete blood counts (CBCs) were obtained weekly. The target level of haemoglobin was 15 g dl(-1) for men and 14 g dl(-1) for women. Quality of life (QOL) was assessed weekly by using an analogue scale to judge energy, activities of daily living and overall quality of life. Forty-eight patients were entered in the study, 24 in the treatment arm and 24 in the control arm. The prerandomization demographic characteristics and mean laboratory values were comparable in both arms. The mean haemoglobin at completion was 13.6 g dl(-1) for r-HuEPO-treated patients compared with 11.0 g dl(-1) for control subjects (P = 0.0012). Patients who received r-HuEPO demonstrated a mean weekly haemoglobin increase of 0.41 g dl(-1) compared with a decrease in mean haemoglobin level in controls for 6 of the 7 weeks of the study (mean weekly decrease of 0.073 g dl(-1)). Target levels of haemoglobin were achieved by 41.6% of r-HuEPO-treated patients compared with none of the control subjects. The mean platelet count declined in both arms of the study with RT but the decline from pretreatment was less rapid in r-HuEPO-treated patients (11.2% decrease) compared with controls (26.3% decrease) and was statistically significant during weeks 4-6. Toxicity was minor with only mild irritation at the injection site. Mean quality of life end points were superior in the treatment arm but not statistically significant. r-HuEPO had a beneficial effect on weekly haemoglobin levels in patients undergoing RT with response rates similar to other studies. There was also a less rapid decline in weekly platelet counts in r-HuEPO-treated patients compared with control subjects. Further studies are needed to address the optimum dose and scheduling as well as the impact of r-HuEPO on clinical outcomes.

In this work we review the dosimetric features of craniospinal axis irradiation in the areas of matching cranial and spinal fields, with reference to the normal structures within the spinal field. The implications of the use of photon or electron modalities for the spinal port were evaluated. A novel method of matching the cranial photon and the spinal electron fields involving a computer-aided junction design is presented. The technique involves moving the photon beam in three steps to degrade its penumbra to match that of the electron field. Thermoluminescent dosimetry in a Rando phantom and computed tomography-based dose–volume histogram study for an illustrative paediatric case were used to compare the dose to normal structures within the spinal field. Our results show that the use of electrons for the spinal field leads to better sparing of deep seated normal structures. In the case of bone marrow, the use of a customized bolus for the spinal field results in an improved dose distribution, making electrons potentially superior to photons for radiobiological reasons.

Although epithelial membrane proteins are separately targeted to apical or basolateral domains, some are apically located in one cell type but are basolateral in others. More dramatically, the anion exchanger of a clonal cell line of intercalated cells derived from the kidney can be retargeted from the apical to basolateral domain. This Cl:HCO3 exchanger, kAE1, is an alternately spliced form of the erythroid anion exchanger (AE1, band 3), but unlike band 3 it does not bind ankyrin. Here we identify a new protein (kanadaptin) that binds to the cytoplasmic domain of kAE1 in vitro and in vivo but not to the erythroid AE1 or to ankyrin. No significant homologous proteins have been reported so far. Kanadaptin is widely expressed in epithelial (kidney, lung, and liver) and non-epithelial cells (brain and skeletal and cardiac muscle). In kidney, we found by immunocytochemistry that kanadaptin was only expressed in the collecting tubule. In the intercalated cells of this segment, it colocalized with kAE1 in cytoplasmic vesicles but not when the exchanger was in the basolateral membrane. These results raised the possibility that this protein is involved in the targeting of kAE1 vesicles to their final destination.

Chromium pillared montmorillonite and vermiculite catalysts have been prepared by intercalation with hydrolyzed metal ion solution. Pillaring solutions with different chromium concentrations were prepared by varying the base to chromium ratio. The catalysts were characterized by nitrogen adsorption, XRD, and IR studies. The nature of the acid sites was characterized by means of IR spectra data on pyridine adsorbed chromium pillared catalysts. The acidity of the samples was determined by butylamine titration. DSC has been used in the present study to probe the nature of the surface acidity, its heterogeneity, acid strength, and density of acidic sites. Cumene cracking was carried out as a test reaction of Brønsted acidity. Both the density and strength of Brønsted acid sites were found to influence the cracking activity.

Treatment of Hodgkin's disease with radiotherapy requires awareness of risk for subclinical disease and patterns of spread in assisting in the design of treatment volumes. This desire to treat larger volume needs to be balanced against concern for normal tissue toxicity. Traditionally, there have been ''standard'' field sizes for various disease presentations; however, the more recent trend has been to select patients in such a manner as to minimize long-term toxicity while increasing or maintaining disease-free survival. This has most commonly involved elimination of laparotomy and decreasing field sizes and radiation doses in specific situations. This article discusses the appropriate dose and treatment technique for the treatment of Hodgkin's disease.

Autopsy and pathology studies have shown that the caudal portion of the prostate gland harbors tumour in 64–75% of specimens examined. Accurate localization of the prostatic apex may be important in improving local control with external beam radiation therapy. We compared the location of the apex obtained with CT based treatment planning versuslocalization using retrograde urethrography in 32 consecutive patients. The prostatic apex, localized by CT and retrograde urethrography, was compared relative to the ischial tuberosities and the symphysis pubis. Discordance between the location of the prostatic apex as defined on CT scan and retrograde urethrography was found in 50% of patients evaluated. There was 31% discordance between the location of the prostatic apex as defined on CT and retrograde urethrography when data were analysed with the location of the prostatic apex 1 cm above the narrowing on urethrography, a definition others have suggested. The urethrogram defined prostatic apex, as compared with the CT definition, necessitated the treatment of more of the surrounding normal tissues in 31% of our cases, with four-field techniques. Comparison of dose–volume histograms of the bladder, rectum and penis irradiated for target volumes defined by CT versusretrograde urethrography showed that more penis was irradiated in some patients with the urethrogram defined prostatic apex; irradiation of the base of the penis could be relatively avoided by using a six-field treatment plan instead of the standard four-field box. There is discordance between the CT and urethrogram defined prostatic apex. Dose-volume histogram information suggests that differences in apex localization can significantly affect doses to normal adjacent prostatic tissues. Combining CT localization with the urethrogram localization of the prostatic apex optimizes radiotherapy planning and dose delivery.

The present study reported that the green protocols for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles with Lactobacillusspp extract are cost-effective and eco-friendly and the reports say that green ZnO nanoparticles have better antimicrobial and biocompatibility analysis. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Ultraviolet absorption spectrum (UV–Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to characterize the ZnO nanoparticles. XRD and FTIR analysis confirmed the formation of a pure ZnO phase. The antimicrobial efficiencies have been conducted using ZnO nanoparticles against microbial strains such as Clostridium difficile, Clostridium perfringens, E. coli, Salmonella typhi, Candida albicans,and Aspergillus flavususing the agar well method. The biocompatibility of the human colon cancer cell line (HT-29) was performed by MTT assay. Results of this study, MTT test measurements on cell viability studies have demonstrated the excellent biocompatibility activity against HT 29 cancer cell line. The effective antimicrobial activity of ZnO nanoparticles against different Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial and fungal pathogens was demonstrated by the amazing inhibition zones (mm). In this research, we concluded that bio-mediated ZnO nanostructures proved to be an excellent new antimicrobial and anticancer material.

Nanomaterials with countless potential applications in the Natural Science and Clinical Pharmaceutics have offered the prospects of developing new nanomaterials. The analysis of green TiO2nanoparticles synthesized with Limonia acidissima(L. acidissima) aqueous peel extract was described in this study. The green fabricated TiO2nanoparticles were characterized by UV–vis spectrum, XRD, FT-IR, and FE-SEM with EDX. Green TiO2nanoparticles exhibited excellent antimicrobial and photodegradation activities. Further it has demonstrated the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and proven mitochondrial membrane potential in a dosage manner of 0–100 ​μg/mL. The statistics were also examined with Pvalues < 0.05 selected significant high accuracy of the effects. The planned approach envisages the TiO2nanoparticles as a function of L. acidissimaaqueous extracts with a wide range of multidisciplinary applications.

The gas-phase kinetics for the reactions of OH radicals and Cl atoms with 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-methyl-2-propanol (HF2M2P) were measured at temperatures between 268 and 363 K using the relative rate experimental technique. Methane and acetonitrile were used as reference compounds to measure the rate coefficients of the title reactions. For the reactions of HF2M2P with OH radicals and Cl atoms, the rate coefficients were measured to be (7.07 ± 1.21) × 10–15and (2.85 ± 0.54) × 10–14cm3molecule–1s–1, respectively, at 298 K. The obtained Arrhenius expressions for the reactions of HF2M2P with OH radicals and Cl atoms are kHF2M2P + OHExp – (268 – 363 K)= (7.84 ± 0.75) × 10–14exp [−(717 ± 59)/T] and kHF2M2P + ClExp – (268 – 363 K)= (3.21 ± 0.45) × 10–12exp [−(1395 ± 83)/T] cm3molecule–1s–1. In addition to the experimental measurements, computational kinetic calculations were also performed for the title reactions at the M06-2X/MG3S//M06-2X/6-31 + G(d,p) level of theory using advanced methods such as the canonical variational transition-state theory coupled with small curvature tunneling corrections at temperatures between 200 and 400 K. Theoretical calculations reveal that the H-abstraction from the CH3group is a more favorable reaction channel than that from the OH group. Thermochemistry, branching ratios, cumulative atmospheric lifetime, global warming potential, acidification potential, and photochemical ozone creation potential of HF2M2P were calculated in the present investigation.

A vast majority of patients with esophageal cancer receive radiation therapy for cure or palliation. Because of the close anatomic proximity of the esophagus to the spinal cord, and unusually long fields used in the irradiation of esophageal cancer, staying within the spinal cord tolerance is crucial. The present investigation shows how this can be achieved by delivering the radiation in prone position.