A laboratory heterodyne emission spectrometer at submillimeter wavelengths.

We present first results on a newly built broadband emission spectrometer for the laboratory making use of a double sideband (DSB) heterodyne receiver. The new spectrometer is perfectly suited for high-resolution emission spectroscopy of molecules of astrophysical importance. The current SIS receiver operates at RF frequencies between 270 and 390 GHz, coincident with Band 7 of the ALMA telescope. The instantaneous bandwidth is 5 GHz (DSB). In this work the full spectrometer and its components are described. Its performance, in particular its sensitivity, stability, reproducibility and systematic errors, is characterized in detail. For this purpose very broad band emission spectra of methyl cyanide have been recorded and compared to theoretical spectra. Isotopic variants are found in natural abundance and features attributed to vibrationally excited species are all recorded in the same spectrum. The performance of the new spectrometer is compared extensively to that of a traditional FM-absorption spectrometer and to recent versions of chirped-pulse spectrometers operated in the mm-wave regime. Further applications and future advancements of the current instrument are discussed.

[The immunosuppressive microenvironment of malignant gliomas].

The dogma of the central nervous system (CNS) as an immune-privileged site has been substantially revised in recent years. CNS is an immunocompetent organ and actively interacts with the immune system. Microglia plays a leading role in a CNS immune response. However, in malignant gliomas, there is M2-polarization of microglia acquiring immunosuppressive and tumor-supportive properties. It occurs under the influence of tumor cytokines, such as transforming growth factor-ß, interleukin-10, and prostaglandin E2. M2-polarized microglia exhibits reduced phagocytic activity, changes in the expression of many cellular determinants, or inverse of their functions, STAT3 activation, and production of immunosuppressive cytokines that suppress the function of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells or CD4+ T-helper cells type I. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells and regulatory T-lymphocytes, which have been recruited from peripheral blood into tumor tissue, also have immunosuppressive properties. The development of new treatment options for malignant gliomas must consider the role of the microenvironment in maintaining tumor vitality and progression.

[Glial brain tumor stem cells].

The review gives the present views on the origin, identification markers, and specific features of the phenotype of glioma stem cells, considers how the latter interact with the cells of the microenvironment in the perivascular niches. Many signaling pathways that determine properties, such a higher invasive and angiogenic ability, a marked metabolic shift toward glycolysis, and resistance to radio- and chemotherapy, are shown to be activated in the glioma stem cells. The exposure of the latter may contribute to the improvement of the results of treatment for malignant gliomas.

[Gene disorders and molecular genetic subtypes of malignant gliomas].

Malignant brain tumors are noteworthy for a lot of genetic disorders that show itself as decreased or increased gene function of different genes and lead to tumor development. The differences in the molecular genetic profile can identify several subtypes of malignant gliomas, which are distinguished by both their clinical course and susceptibility to drugs. This can be the basis for developing individualized therapy options in patients with malignant gliomas.

[Inhalation induction anesthesia: special indications or a routine procedure?].

The efficacy, safety and expediency of various types of the induction anesthesia before the long-lasting major surgery were analyzed. The combination of inhalation of sevoflurane in maximal concentration with phentanil allowed the effective and safe induction and trachea intubation on the 3-4th minute on the background of the nimbex myoplegia. The monoinduction with sevoflurane provides the sufficient analgesia not earlier then after 7-9th minute, which allows the safe intubation at a time. Therefore, the study proved, that the inhalation induction with sevoflurane in various modifications, could be the standard method of inductive anesthesia.

[Diaphragmatic hernias. Diagnosis and surgical treatment].

The authors present results of the examination and treatment of 106 patients with hernias of the diaphragm of different genesis. In 79 of them there were non-incarcerated hernias, in 27--there were incarcerated hernias. The authors suggest necessary medico-diagnostic measures with rational application of endovideosurgical technologies such as thoraco- and laproscopy which were used in 74%.

[Cellular aspects of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy pathogenesis: the role of cardiomyocyte polyploidy and activation of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen in the myocardium].

Mechanisms of hypertrophy development in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) have not been enough investigated. In our study, there have been examined patients with severe HOCM at different ages, including children, and patients with essential arterial hypertension (EAH). There was found, that HOCM in children compared to adults was characterized by considerable interventricular septum (IVS) hypertrophy and it was accompanied by the acceleration of cardiomyocyte polyploidy. The average ploidy level of cardiomyocytes in children with HOCM was higher than analogous indices in adults. The average ploidy level of nuclei, the part of PCNA-positive nuclei and polyploidic nuclei of cardiomyocytes in aduls with HOCM were authentically higher than in patients with EAH. Activation of the nuclear antigen in stromal cells was detected only in patients with HOCM. Our findings provide evidence of an important role of cardiomyocyte polyploidy and activation of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen in development of the myocardial hypertrophy in patients with HOCM.

[Surgical treatment of pediatric hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy using an original approach].

The authors offer an original technique of surgical correction of pediatric hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM), which allows excision of the hypertrophied area and elimination of the obstruction from the cone part of the right ventricle (RV) without penetrating into the LV cavity. 15 children aged 5 to 15 years have been operated on in Bakulev Scientific Center for Cardiovascular Surgery using this technique. 8 of the patients had simultaneous obstruction of the left and right ventricular outflow tract (LVOT and RVOT), 1 patient had RV obstruction. Medical therapy had failed in all cases. The follow-up period was 28 +/- 7 months. EchoCG examination, performed after the surgical treatment, found a decrease of the intraventricular gradient in LV from 72.9 +/- 8.9 to 12.7 +/- 5.5 mmHg; the mean gradient in RVOT also reduced from 43.6 +/- 5.7 to 4.3 +/- 2.7 mmHg. According to the EchoCG, septal thickness reduced from 31.5 +/- 6.5 to 16.5 +/- 4.1 mm. Sinus rhythm was noted in all the patients after the surgery and during the follow-up. The method proposed by the authors is preferable in surgical treatment of children with various forms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy unresponsive to medical treatment and is a method of choice in a significant number of cases.

[Electrophysiological diagnosis and surgical treatment of supraventricular tachycardia]. / Elektrofiziologicheskaia diagnostika i khirurgicheskoe lechenie nadzheludochkovykh takhiaritmii.

In 1981-1988, 515 operations were made in patients with supraventricular tachycardias (SVT) refractory to preventive antiarrhythmic therapy at the A. N. Bakulev Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery, USSR Academy of Medical Sciences. Nodal tachycardias were observed in 51 (10%) patients, ectopic SVT were found in 32 (6%), atrial fibrillation and flutter were seen in 140 (27%), and preexcitation syndromes were present in 292 (57%). The current surgical therapy of SVT returns to socially active lifestyle, abolishes tachycardias and eliminates sudden death in 97% of patients with parietal accessory pathways and atrial fibrillation. Transvenous fulguration is the method of choice in artificially inducing atriovetricular block (97% positive outcomes), in radically abolishing nodal tachycardias (100%), and Type I idiopathic atrial flutter (88%).

[Natural suppressors of the human bone marrow tissue]. / Estestvennye supressory kostnomozgovoi tkani cheloveka.

Proved the investigation devoted to the natural suppressors of healthy donors, patients with acute leukosis and solid tumors. The author made a comparative densitometric analysis of the bone marrow cells in these group.

[Immunodepressants used in immune system pathology. I. Cyclosporin, cyclophosphane, azathioprine and mercaptopurine]. / Immunodepressanty, primeniaemye pri patologii immunnoi sistemy. I. Tsiklosporin, tsiklofosfan, azatioprin, merkatopurin.

The data on immunodepressants most commonly used in the Soviet Union in the diseases caused by disorders in normal function of the immune system are presented. Such drugs as cyclosporine A, cyclophosphan, azatioprine, 6-mercaptopurine are considered. Emphasis is given to the mechanism of the primary pharmacological response of the drugs to the immunocompetent cells, the grounding of their clinical use, dosage and mechanisms of possible side effects.

[Separation of bone marrow cells in a Percoll discontinuous density gradient]. / Separatsiia kletok kostnogo mozga v stupenchatom gradiente plotnosti perkolla.

Human bone marrow cells were separated by centrifugation in percoll discontinuous density gradient with 1.020-1.080 g/ml densities. CFU-GM test and EPICS analysis were used to characterize cell compositions of the resultant fractions. The employed mode of separation permits obtaining cell fractions rich for monocytes, macrophages, T and B lymphocytes.

Management of symptomatic hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy--long-term results after surgical therapy.

BACKGROUND: The natural history of Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy (HOCM), is well known from earlier investigations. The yearly death rate of medically or non-treated patients with HOCM is between 1.7% and 4%. After conservative management with beta-blockers and/or calcium antagonist, early improvement is followed in many patients by a symptomatic and clinical impairment, which today may lead to surgical or interventional treatment. METHODS: From 1963 to 12/1998 a total of 519 patients were operated by transaortic subvalvular myectomy (TSM). The mean age was 49 +/- 11 years (range 3 months - 82 years) in 292 males and 227 females. RESULTS: The early risk was related to the clinical class (NYHA) and the need for additional cardiac procedures during the same intervention. Total early mortality was 4.4% (n=23), in isolated myectomy 3.6% (n= 11). During the last 10 years it could be reduced to 1.9%. The first complete (100%) reinvestigation of 346 patients up to 26 years after surgery (1963-1991) demonstrated a disease-related mortality rate of 5.2% (n=20). The analysis of late deaths showed that disease-related lethal complications (sudden death, life-threatening arrhythmias, valve endocarditis, secondary LV dilatation) were relatively rare, the age-related death rate nearly followed the natural course because of other causes. The cumulative survival rate after 10 years was 88%, after 20-26 years 72%. The yearly disease-related death rate could be reduced to 0.6%. The long-lasting, symptomatic clinical improvement (NYHA I-II), and also the physical and mental capacity with enlargement of the acitivity radius and improvement of quality of life were remarkable. The positive effects of surgical enlargement of the LVOT could be confirmed in the meantime by hemodynamic, rhythmological, echocardiographic investigations as well as endurance tests. CONCLUSION: We have examined the outcome of a large series of patients treated surgically for HOCM since 1963. The majority of patients were in NYHA class III and came to surgery after long-term medical, but finally insufficient, management. The perioperative risk could be reduced considerably during recent years, despite the advanced cardiomyopathy status. The long-term postoperative observation of the patients demonstrated an unexpectedly continuing good outcome. Therefore these results may serve as a standard for assessing the results after the less invasive alcohol-induced transcoronary ablation of septal hypertrophy.

Requirement of major histocompatibility complex-compatible microenvironment for spleen colony formation (CFU-S on day 12 but not on day 8).

To clarify major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction between hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and microenvironments, T cell-depleted bone marrow cells (BMCs) were transplanted into MHC-compatible and MHC-incompatible recipients. A significantly larger number of spleen colony-forming units (CFU-S) on day 12 were noted in MHC-compatible recipients, while only a small number were observed in MHC-incompatible recipients. There was, however, no significant difference in CFU-S counts on day 8 between the two groups. A large number of CFU-S counts on day 12 were also observed in F1 hybrid recipients, as seen in syngeneic recipients. The decrease in CFU-S counts on day 12 in MHC-incompatible recipients was also observed even after in vivo abrogation of T and NK cells. The difference in CFU-S counts on day 12 became more prominent when HSC-enriched cells were transferred. These results suggest that an MHC restriction exists between pluripotent HSCs (P-HSCs) and spleen microenvironments. Furthermore, experiments using B10. A recombinant strains revealed that H-2D and S loci play a crucial role in the MHC restriction. The experiments of serial transplantation suggest that the differentiation and proliferation of P-HSCs are inhibited in MHC-incompatible microenvironments. It is therefore likely that the MHC-compatible microenvironment is essential to the differentiation and proliferation of P-HSCs.

Characterization of natural suppressor cells in human bone marrow.

Natural suppressor (NS) cells, which exert nonspecific suppressive activity in an unprimed manner, have been found in mouse, rabbit and monkey bone marrow (BM). In the present study, we characterize NS cells in human BM. NS activity was found in a fraction of low density (1.055-1.065 g/ml) BM cells that had been depleted of T cells, B cells, and monocytes. The NS activity was significantly decreased by the depletion of CD34+ or CD33+ cells but not CD56+ cells. The NS activity was indeed detected in isolated CD34+ cells and further enriched in CD34+CD33+ cells. Hematopoietic progenitor cells committed to the myeloid lineage were also enriched in the CD34+CD33+ cells, which significantly correlated to the NS activity. From these findings, it is strongly suggested that NS activity in human BM is exerted by the myeloid hematopoietic progenitors. Since cell-to-cell contact was not necessary for the action, NS cells seemed to secrete soluble mediator(s). Transforming growth factor-beta 1 and leukemia inhibitory factor were, however, not the candidates, based on experiments using neutralizing antibodies.

[Surgical treatment of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias using laser]. / Khirurgicheskoe lechenie nadzheludochkovykh takhiaritmii s ispol'zovaniem lazera.

Much importance is attached lately to the use of lasers in surgical treatment of tachyarrhythmias. The advantages of the laser radiation are as follows: the possibility of using it on a contracting heart, its exact and selective effect, infliction of even damages in preservation of the structure, reduction of damage to the myocardium as a whole. At the Bakulev Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery, USSR AMS, 52 operations were carried out in the management of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias by laser radiation: 27 operations for laser isolation of the atrioventricular node, 15 operations for laser isolation of the atria and bases of the pulmonary veins (11 in combination with laser isolation of the atrioventricular node), 3 operations for ablation of ectopic foci in the atria and ventricles, 4 operations for ablation of the bundle of His, and 3 operations for removal of Maheim's nodoventricular tract. Among the patients who were operated on, 12 had atrial flutter, 21--atrial fibrillation, 11--paroxysmal atrioventricular nodal tachycardia, 5--ectopic supraventricular tachycardia, and 3 patients had paroxysmal tachycardia due to the presence of Maheim's nodoventricular tract. The method of laser isolation of the atrioventricular node was developed. It is performed on a working heart under conditions of normothermal extracorporeal circulation by Nd-YAG laser radiation under electrophysiological control. Antegrade conductivity was reduced to 420-510 msec. Among 56 patients who underwent operation 39 had sinus rhythm, 10 had Degree II-III block, and 7 patients had a recurrence.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)