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Presents summaries of papers presented by members of the Middle East Working Group at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association on August 31, 2002. Relationship between the U.S. and Egypt; Information on the Iranian foreign policy; Secularism in Turkey.

Background: Patients undergoing high-dose radio- and/or chemotherapy and autologous or allogeneic PBPC transplantation are at high risk for infections owing to profound immunosuppression. In this study, the rate of microbial contamination of ex vivo processed PBPC products was analyzed, comparing preparation under clean room conditions to standard laboratory conditions., Study Design and Methods: After implementation of good manufacturing practice conditions in the two participating institutions, the microbial contamination rate of 366 PBPC harvests from 198 patients was determined under certified clean room conditions (Group A) from 2000 until 2002. To investigate influence of improved environmental conditions along with other parameters, this set of samples was compared with a historical control set of 1413 PBPC products, which have been processed ex vivo under a clean bench in a regular laboratory room and were harvested from 626 patients (Group B) from 1989 until 2000., Results: In Group B microbial contamination was found in 74 PBPC products (5.2%) from 57 patients. In Group A microbial growth was detected in 3 leukapheresis products (0.8%) from 3 patients. After exclusion of PBPC products, which were probably contaminated before manipulation, statistical analysis showed a significant difference (chi2= 10.339; p < 0.001)., Conclusion: These data suggest an impact of clean room conditions on the bacterial contamination rate of PBPC products. To identify confounding variables, variables like technique of leukapheresis, culture methodology, and microbial colonization of central venous catheters were taken into account. Further variables might be identified in following studies.

4-Deoxyannomontacin (1) and a mixture of (2,4-cis and trans)-annomontacinone (2), new bioactive mono-tetrahydrofuran (THF) gamma-lactone and keto-lactone acetogenins, respectively, as well as five known mono-THF acetogenins [xylomaticin, longifolicin, longicoricin, (2,4-cis and trans)-gigantetrocinone, and (2,4-cis and trans)-gigantetroneninone], were isolated from the bark of Goniothalamus giganteus (Annonaceae) by activity-directed fractionation using the brine shrimp lethality test (BST). The structures were elucidated based on spectroscopic and chemical methods. The absolute stereochemistries of 1 and 2 were determined by the advanced Mosher ester method and by circular dichroism (CD). Determination of the absolute stereochemistry at C-10 as R for 1 is the first example of the direct determination of the absolute stereochemistry of a carbinol position isolated from other functional groups in the annonaceous acetogenins. 1 and 2 showed selective and potent cytotoxicities to certain human tumor cell lines and were comparable to the activity of rotenone against yellow fever mosquito larvae.

In a continuation of our research on bioactive components from the leaves of Annona muricata, three novel monotetrahydrofuran Annonaceous acetogenins, namely, annomutacin [1], (2,4-trans)-10R-annonacin-A-one [2], and (2,4-cis)-10R- annonacin-A-one [3], have been identified. Their structures were deduced by ms, nmr, ir, and uv spectral and chemical methods, and the absolute configurations were determined by Mosher ester methodology. A known bioactive amide, N-p-coumaroyl tyramine, was also found. Compound 1 and the mixture of compounds 2 and 3 showed selective cytotoxicities against the human A-549 lung tumor cell line.

Five new adjacent bis-THF annonaceous acetogenins, 32-hydroxybullatacin, 31-hydroxybullatacin, 30-hydroxybullatacin, and (2,4-cis and trans)-28-hydroxybullatacinones, were isolated from the ethanolic extract of the bark of Annona bullata Rich. (Annonaceae). The absolute configurations of the above five compounds, as well as those of (2,4-cis and trans)-32-, 31-, and 30-hydroxybullatacinones and (2,4-cis and trans)-bulladecinones, previously isolated from the same extract, were defined by the application of the advanced Mosher ester [methoxy(trifluoromethyl)phenyl acetate or MTPA] methodology. The determination of the absolute configuration of C-20 of (2,4-cis and trans)-bulladecinones to be S supports our hypothesis that the cyclization of the THF rings of (2,4-cis and trans)-bulladecinones starts from C-12 (the right side). The first five compounds listed above showed potent bioactivities in the brine shrimp lethality test (BST) and among six human solid tumour cell lines.

The leaves of Annona muricata have yielded two additional monotetrahydrofuran Annonaceous acetogenins, annomuricin C [1] and muricatocin C [2]. Compounds 1 and 2 each possess five hydroxyl groups; two hydroxyl groups are at the C-10/C-11 and C-10/C-12 positions in 1 and 2, respectively. The absolute configurations of 1 and 2, except for positions C-10 and C-11 or C-12, were determined by Mosher ester methodology. The C-10/C-11 and C-10/C-12 acetonides (1c, 2c) suggested relative stereochemistry and significantly enhanced the cytotoxicities against the A-549 human lung and the MCF-7 human beast solid tumor cell lines. One known monotetrahydrofuran acetogenin, gigantetronenin, not described previously from this plant, was also found.

The leaves of Annona muricata have yielded the novel monotetrahydrofuran Annonaceous acetogenins, muricatocins A [1] and B [2]. Each compound possesses five hydroxyl groups, with two hydroxyl groups at the C-10 and C-12 positions. The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 (except for positions C-10 and C-12) were determined by Mosher ester methodology. The C-10, C-12 acetonides (1c, 2c) suggested relative stereochemistry and significantly enhanced cytotoxicity against the A-549 human lung tumor cell line. Three known monotetrahydrofuran acetogenins, annonacin A, (2,4-trans)-isoannonacin, and (2,4-cis)-isoannonacin, were also found.

alpha-Crystallins from the water-soluble and the water-insoluble, guanidine-soluble portions of lenses from four renal failure patients and two normal donors of similar age were isolated and enzymatically digested into peptides. Molecular weights of the peptides, determined by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry, indicated modifications specifically associated with renal failure. The only modifications observed in the alpha-crystallins from renal failure patients, but not in the normal old lenses, were glutathione adducts to Cys 131 and Cys 142. These adducts were present in the lenses of all four renal failure patients, but not in the two normal old lenses. The four lenses from the renal failure patients were searched for evidence of carbamylation at lysyl or cysteinyl residues: carbamylation was not detected. Because the same mass spectrometric methods had previously demonstrated sufficient sensitivity and specificity to detect as little as 5% modification in the examination of in vitro carbamylated bovine lenses, these results indicated that carbamylation is not a major modification of the lens alpha-crystallins of renal failure patients.

To Investigate the interpersonal psychophysiology in the psychotherapeutic process a sequential approach using single case analysis is presented. During 18 psychoanalytic-psychosomatic initial interviews simultaneous recordings of heart periods (IBI) and arrhythmia scores (from ecg) and the psychotherapeutic dialogue were made from 10 patients with cardiac neurosis and their interviewers. The general finding is that therapists were able to forecast those segments better, in which their own physiological activity was involved than the segments of their patients. Consideration is given to the consequences which should be drawn from these results for psychophysiological psychotherapy research.