Sub-wavelength ripples in fused silica after irradiation of the solid/liquid interface with ultrashort laser pulses.

Laser-induced backside wet etching (LIBWE) is performed using ultrashort 248 nm laser pulses with a pulse duration of 600 fs to obtain sub-wavelength laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on the back surface of fused silica which is in contact with a 0.5 mol l(-1) solution of pyrene in toluene. The LIPSS are strictly one-dimensional patterns, oriented parallel to the polarization of the laser radiation, and have a constant period of about 140 nm at all applied laser fluences (0.33-0.84 J cm(-2)) and pulse numbers (50-1000 pulses). The LIPSS amplitude varies due to the inhomogeneous fluence in the laser spot. The LIPSS are examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Their power spectral density (PSD) distribution is analysed at a measured area of 10 µm × 10 µm. The good agreement of the measured and calculated LIPSS periods strongly supports a mechanism based on the interference of surface-scattered and incident waves.

Evaluation of inpatient dialectical-behavioral therapy for borderline personality disorder--a prospective study.

Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder (DBT) developed by M. Linehan is specifically designed for the outpatient treatment of chronically suicidal patients with borderline personality disorder. Research on DBT therapy, its course and its results has focused to date on treatments in an outpatient setting. Hypothesizing that the course of therapy could be accelerated and improved by an inpatient setting at the beginning of outpatient DBT, we developed a treatment program of inpatient therapy for this patient group according to the guidelines of DBT. It consists of a three-month inpatient treatment prior to long-term outpatient therapy. In this pilot study 24 female patients were compared at admission to the hospital, and at one month after discharge with respect to psychopathology and frequency of self-injuries. Significant improvements in ratings of depression, dissociation, anxiety and global stress were found. A highly significant decrease in the number of parasuicidal acts was also reported. Analysis of the average effect sizes shows a strong effect which prompts the development of a randomized controlled design.

Naltrexone in the treatment of dissociative symptoms in patients with borderline personality disorder: an open-label trial.

BACKGROUND: Dissociative phenomena, including flashbacks, are common in patients with borderline personality disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although dissociative symptoms can be severe and may interfere with psychotherapy, there is no established pharmacotherapy for these symptoms. Evidence suggests that alterations of the endogenous opiate system contribute to dissociative symptoms in patients with borderline personality disorder and PTSD. METHOD: We treated 2 groups of female borderline personality disorder patients (N = 13, with an overlap of 5 patients between the 2 groups; all met the diagnostic criteria of DSM-IV and the revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderline Patients) who experienced prominent dissociative phenomena including flashbacks with the nonselective opiate receptor antagonist naltrexone, 25 to 100 mg q.i.d., for at least 2 weeks. A self-rated questionnaire measuring dissociation, analgesia, tonic immobility, and tension (DAISS) was applied to 9 patients, who completed it for 7 consecutive days before and during treatment with naltrexone. In addition, 9 patients (with an overlap of 5 patients from the other group) completed a flashback protocol. RESULTS: DAISS scores reflected a highly significant reduction of the duration and the intensity of dissociative phenomena and tonic immobility as well as a marked reduction in analgesia during treatment with naltrexone. Six of 9 patients reported a decrease in the mean number of flashbacks per day. CONCLUSION: These observations support the hypothesis that an increased activity of the opioid system contributes to dissociative symptoms, including flashbacks, in borderline personality disorder and suggest that these symptoms may respond to treatment with opiate antagonists. In view of these results, a placebo-controlled, double-blind study to assess the potential benefit of naltrexone in a more rigorous way appears justified.

[Treatment of dissociative symptoms in borderline patients with naltrexone]. / Behandlung von dissoziativen Symptomen bei Borderline-Persönlichkeitsstörungen mit Naltrexon.

Dissociative symptoms including flashbacks, i.e. vivid scenic recollections of traumatic episodes, in patients with Borderline Personality Disorder are a serious and often treatment-refractory problem. There is evidence suggesting changes in endogenous opioids in patients with Borderline Personality Disorder. Naltrexone, an opioid receptor antagonist, was administered to three female patients with Borderline Personality Disorder in a dosage of 50 mg (q.i.d.,p.o.) over several weeks. We observed a marked reduction in dissociative symptoms.

[Regression of Yoshida sarcoma during normoxia and hypoxia after fractionated irradiation]. / Regression des Yoshida-Sarkoms unter Normoxie und Hypoxie nach fraktionierter Bestrahlung.

PURPOSE: Tumor regression is one of the most important factors determinating the tumor control probability after radiotherapy. The changes in the regression of tumors during fractionated radiotherapy and the application of different radioprotectors or radiosensitizers make render to assess their effectivity. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The effect of hypoxic breathing (8.1% O2) on the tumor regression of Yoshida sarcoma was studied using rats of Wistar strain. Different fractionation schedules were used: 10 x 3 Gy, 6 x 5 Gy and 3 x 10 Gy. RESULTS: No significant changes in the tumor regression after radiotherapy in any group in any time independent from respiratoric hypoxia were recorded. The tumor regression rate was significantly influenced by treatment schedule (p < 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the hypothesis of hypoxy-radiotherapy: The acute hypoxic hypoxia, caused due the breathing of hypoxic gas mixture with 8 to 10% oxygen, did not influence the radiation induced tumor regression in animal experiment. For this criterium no protection can be shown. The influence of hypoxy-radiotherapy on the local tumor control is necessary to evaluate in further experiments.

[Reoxygenation in Yoshida sarcoma during different fractionated radiotherapy]. / Reoxygenierung im Yoshida-Sarkom unter unterschiedlich fraktionierter Bestrahlung.

PURPOSE: Tumor reoxygenation is one of the most important factors determining the tumor control probability after radiotherapy. In experimental studies reoxygenation has been measured preferably after single dose irradiation. Only few data exist about changes in the hypoxic tumor fraction during fractionated radiotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The changes in the pO2 during fractionated radiotherapy were studied in Yoshida sarcoma transplanted to Wistar rats. Tissue oxygenation was assessed using a polarographic electrode system at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of radiation therapy. Different fractionation schedules were used: 10 x 3 Gy, 6 x 5 Gy and 3 x 10 Gy. RESULTS: In the statistical analysis significant changes emerged in the mean, median, 10%-percentile and 0 to 2.5 mm Hg and 0 to 5.0 mm Hg values dependent on time. The tumors were significantly more hypoxic at the end of therapy. This trend became more pronounced with decreasing dose per fraction. CONCLUSIONS: The Yoshida sarcoma has no effective reoxygenation during fractionated radiotherapy.

[Hypoxyradiotherapy: changes in the oxygen partial pressure distribution in the tumor and in the healthy tissue under acute respiratory hypoxia]. / Hypoxie-Radiotherapie: Veränderungen in der Sauerstoffpartialdruckverteilung im Tumor und im gesunden Gewebe unter akuter respiratorischer Hypoxie.

PURPOSE: Based on the oxygen effect a new therapeutic modality has been developed to protect healthy tissues while breathing hypoxic gas mixture during irradiation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The effect of breathing hypoxic gas mixture (8.1% O2) on pO2 in Yoshida sarcoma and muscle was studied using rats of Wistar strain. Different fractionation schedules were used: 10 x 3 Gy, 6 x 5 Gy and 3 x 10 Gy. Tissue oxygenation was assessed with a polarographic electrode system. RESULTS: The median pO2 in Yoshida sarcoma was 10 mm Hg. 21% of pO2-values were lower than 5 mm Hg. During breathing of hypoxic gas mixture no significant changes in median tumor pO2 or radiobiologic hypoxic values (< or = 5 mm Hg) were recorded. The median pO2 in muscle was 30 mm Hg. During breathing of gas hypoxic mixture a significant decrease of the median to the value 12 mm Hg and an increase of the radiobiologic hypoxic values (p < 0.00001) were observed. The changes of pO2-values were constant independent from fractionation. CONCLUSIONS: Between tumor and healthy tissue exists a significant difference regarding changes in the radiobiologic fraction during breathing of hypoxic gas mixture. This fact explains the experimental and clinical experience, that the breathing hypoxic gas mixture protects the healthy tissue without changes in the radiosensibility of chronic hypoxic tumor tissue.

[The methods and results of simultaneous radiochemotherapy with carboplatin in advanced cervical carcinomas]. / Methode und Ergebnisse der simultanen Radiochemotherapie mit Carboplatin bei fortgeschrittenen Zervixkarzinomen.

PURPOSE: The frequency and the poor therapeutic results in advanced cervical cancer establish the demand for effectiveness of treatment. Recent clinical data have shown that simultaneous radiochemotherapy may yield high remission rates in squamous cell carcinomas of other organs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In our Department of Radiotherapy and Radiooncology of the University of Leipzig we treated since 1.6.1991 17 patients with advanced cancer of the uterine cervix with a simultaneous radiochemotherapy with carboplatin. RESULTS: The rate of complete remission was 76%. Follow-up is available from six to 24 months. Severe or toxic side effects of the treatment we didn't observe. Eight (47%) patients live relapse-free. CONCLUSIONS: In our opinion randomized studies are required to determine: What is better? Simultaneous radiochemotherapy or radiotherapy?

Synthesis of fluorescent 4,6,8(14)-trien-3-one steroids via 3,5,7-trien-3-ol ethers. Important probes for steroid-protein interactions.

A general synthesis of fluorescent 4,6,8(14)-trien-3-one steroids with and without an aliphatic side chain is described via 3-alkoxy-3,5,7-trienes as intermediates. The advantages of this method are general applicability, good yields, limited number of reaction steps (up to four), and ready availability of starting materials (at low cost). a) Starting from ergosterol (1) or cholesta-5,7-dien-3-ol (2) and oxidizing them to ergosta-4,7,22-trien-3-one (3) or cholesta-4,7-dien-3-one (4) we synthesized the enol ethers (5) and (6). Subsequent treatment with DDQ gave the 4,6,8(14),22-tetraen-3-one (7) and the 4,6,8(14)-trien-3-one (8). b) Similarly 17 beta-(1-oxopropoxy)-androsta-4,6,8(14)-trien-3-one (13) was obtained, but the required enol ether was synthesized via the 4,6-dien-3-one (11).

A high-affinity plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase in Dictyostelium discoideum: its relation to cAMP-induced Ca2+ fluxes.

Chemotactic stimulation of Dictyostelium discoideum induces an uptake of Ca2+ by the cells followed by a release of Ca2+. In this study we investigated the mechanism of Ca2+ release and found that it was inhibited by La3+, Cd2+ and azide. Ca2+ release occurred in the absence of external Na+, indicating that an Na+/Ca2+ exchange was not involved. Plasma membranes contained high- and low-affinity ATPase activities. Apparent K0.5 values were 8 microM for the major Mg2+-ATPase and 1.1 microM for the high-affinity Ca2+-ATPase, respectively. The Mg2+-ATPase activity was inhibited by elevated concentrations of Ca2+, whereas both Ca2+-ATPases were active in the absence of added Mg2+. The activities of the Ca2+-ATPases were not modified by calmodulin. The high-affinity Ca2+-ATPase was competitively inhibited by La3+ and Cd2+; we suggest that this high-affinity enzyme mediates the release of Ca2+ from D. discoideum cells.

Histophotometrical measurements concerning the distribution of myofibrillar ATPase activity within the tissue block after aldehyde fixation.

The inhibition of myofibrillar ATPase activity by aldehyde fixation in tissue pieces of myocardium of the rat was measured by scanning histophotometry. The relative amount of the final reaction product of the histochemical method for ATPase (Padykula and Herman 1955) was taken as a measure for the enzyme activity. Along scanning lines in slides from the surface to the centre of tissue block, a higher activity was found in the centre in contrast to the marginal zone. Compared with the centre of the block (approximately equal to 100%), in the marginal region a loss of about 40% (in paraformaldehyde PFA) and of 75% (in glutaraldehyde GA) was found, the latter with a sharp decline between the marginal zone and the central part. For quantitative enzyme histochemistry by histophotometry unfixed material is recommended.

[In vitro studies on the adsorption of various resins of the Wofatit type for drugs]. / In vitro-Untersuchungen zur Adsorption verschiedener Harze vom Typ Wofatit für Arzneimittel.

The capacities of the resins Wofatit Y 29, Y 55 and Y 56 (VEB Chemiekombinat Bitterfeld) to adsorb various medicaments were compared with that of the resin XAD-4. Methaquelone, diazepam, krotylbarbital, promazine phosphate and ethyloxamine were used as test substances. The resin Y 56 proved to have an adsorption capacity similar to that of XAD-4 (e.g. maximum saturation for methaquelone 98%, half-maximum saturation at 7 minutes). In further tests on various batches of this resin the best results were given by the resin Y 56/7. Adsorption was quite clearly shown to be dependent on concentration. At a blood-flow of 100 ml/min clearance values of 34.5 ml/min for krotylbarbitol and 22.1 ml/min for methaquelone were calculated. According to these findings the resin Y 56/7 is suitable for further testing in a haemoperfusion system with a view to clinical use.

On the role of calcium in chemotaxis and oscillations of dictyostelium cells.

Migration of differentiated cells to a capillary containing cyclic AMP was enhanced in the presence of 1 mM CaCl2 and was virtually absent in the presence of 1 mM EGTA. Furthermore, the cells contracted and extended pseudopods to a capillary filled with the calcium ionophore A 23187. At short distances, migration to the tip of the capillary was observed, THe ionophore also induced transient decreases of the optical density of suspended cells indicating changes of cell shape. These findings support the hypothesis that cyclic AMP-binding to cell surface receptors causes a local influx of calcium ions. These in turn lead to an increase of the cytosolic calcium concentration and subsequently to an activation of cell migration. Perturbing pulses of the ionophore induced permanent phase shifts of free-running light scattering oscillations. This result indicates that cytosolic calcium is an intrinsic component of the oscillatory system.

Regulation of phosphorylation of myosin heavy chain during the chemotactic response of Dictyostelium cells.

Chemotactic stimulation of the cellular slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum by cyclic AMP increases the incorporation of 32P into a 210-kDa polypeptide. This was determined in lysates prepared from stimulated and nonstimulated cells. Earlier results suggesting that the 210-kDa polypeptide corresponds to myosin heavy chains [7] have now been confirmed. We have investigated the sequence of events following chemotactic stimulation that lead to the change of myosin heavy-chain phosphorylation. 1. Chemotactic stimulation did not activate myosin heavy chain kinase, but seemed to elicit the transient accumulation of dephosphorylated myosin heavy chains. Thus, the inefficient incorporation of 32P into myosin heavy chains in lysates of control cells seems to be due to the lack of dephosphorylated myosin heavy chains. 2. Using membranes of aggregation-competent cells, we found that incorporation of 32P into myosin heavy chains was inhibited by 0.1-1 mM Ca2+. The effect of calcium seems to be mediated by endogeneous calmodulin and was due to the inhibition of myosin kinase activity rather than to the activation of myosin phosphatase. 3. By the addition of calmodulin, the inhibition of myosin heavy-chain phosphorylation was further enhanced. 4. Folic acid, an attractant of undifferentiated cells, also caused enhanced incorporation of 32P into myosin heavy chains, as determined in cell lysates. 5. The amount of 32P incorporated in response to cyclic AMP into myosin heavy chains increased during differentiation to the aggregation-competent stage. Only a small fraction of the cell surface receptors had to be activated in order to elicit a maximal reaction. Our results suggest that a phosphorylated form of myosin heavy chains prevails at the onset of the chemotactic response and that dephosphorylation begins within 5-10 s at 23 degrees C.

[Growth development of children suffering from chronic insufficiency of digestion under dietary therapy for several years (author's transl)]. / Die körperliche Entwicklung mehrjährig behandelter Kinder mit chronischer Verdauungsinsuffizienz.

83 children suffering from malabsorption and disorders of metabolism were investigated with regard to body growth and weight gain. Though at first the increase of weight in comparison to body height was more rapid, the norm was obtained by the time the children were starting school. The period of retardation depended on the severity of disease and the diet being strictly kept to. It is most important that the circumference of the head was normal, though the other proportions of the body were too small for the age. These findings are parallel with normal intellectual development.

Binding of phosphorylated histone H1 to DNA.

A chromatin associated protein kinase was used to add 3 moles of phosphate to seryl side chains of 1 mole of histone H1. The DNA binding properties of this in vitro phosphorylated H1 were compared with those of unmodified H1. Considerably more radioactive superhelical DNA was retained on nitrocellulose filters at 20mM-40mM NaCl by phosphorylated H1 than by unmodified H1. However, zone velocity sedimentation analysis of histone-DNA complexes indicated that similar amounts of phosphorylated and unmodified H1 are bound to DNA. It is therefore concluded that phosphorylated H1 binds distributively to many or all DNA molecules available (depending on the histone/DNA ratio) while unmodified H1 binds cooperatively to a fraction of the DNA molecules in the reaction mixture.

Some evidence for replication-transcription coupling in Physarum polycephalum.

Hydroxyurea, at concentrations of 40-60 mM, selectively and effectively blocked incorporation of thymidine into DNA. Inhibition occurred within 5-10 min of application of the agent when DNA synthesis was in progress, while the onset of replication at the beginning of S-phase and DNA synthesis in G2 phase were not affected. Uridine incorporation into TCA-precipitable material, in the presence of hydroxyurea, was significantly (up to 70%) inhibited in early S-phase of the cell cycle. Selective inhibition of RNA synthesis was confirmed for RNA separated into rRNA-rich and poly(A)-rich RNA fractions and analysed by the 2 kinds of DNA-RNA hybridization reactions. Uridine incorporation into poly (A) RNA was also inhibited under conditions where cycloheximide prevented maturation of nascent DNA molecules in early S-phase. We assume that chromatin which is replicating early DNA sequences may be a more competent template for transcription.