Reconstructed rough growing interfaces: ridge-line trapping of domain walls.

We investigate whether surface reconstruction order exists in stationary growing states at all length scales or only below a crossover length l(rec). The latter behavior would be similar to surface roughness in growing crystal surfaces; below the equilibrium roughening temperature they evolve in a layer-by-layer mode within a crossover length scale l(R), but are always rough at large length scales. We investigate this issue in the context of Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) type dynamics and a checkerboard type reconstruction, using the restricted solid-on-solid model with negative monatomic step energies. This is a topology where surface reconstruction order is compatible with surface roughness and where a so-called reconstructed rough phase exists in equilibrium. We find that during growth reconstruction order is absent in the thermodynamic limit, but exists below a crossover length l(rec)>l(R), and that this local order fluctuates critically. Domain walls become trapped at the ridge lines of the rough surface, and thus the reconstruction order fluctuations are slaved to the KPZ dynamics.

Bryostatin/ionomycin-activated T cells mediate regression of established tumors.

We have shown that adoptive transfer of tumor-sensitized lymphocytes activated in vitro with bryostatin-1 and ionomycin (B/I), and expanded in culture, can induce regression of small established tumors. We set out to determine whether similar treatment would be effective against larger tumors and what cells mediate this effect. We also attempted to shorten the ex vivo culture period with the ultimate aim of developing a more clinically useful protocol. BALB/c mice were injected in one footpad with IL-2-transfected 4T07 mammary tumor cells. Ten days later, popliteal draining lymph nodes (DLN) were harvested and activated with B/I for 18 h. Mice with either 3-day or 10-day 4T07 flank tumors were treated with cyclophosphamide (100 mg/ kg ip, CYP) alone or CYP followed the next day by infusion of either B/I-activated lymphocytes transferred immediately or activated cells that had been expanded in vitro for 3 or 10 days. In some experiments, mice were also treated with rat anti-mouse CD4 monoclonal antibody (GK1.5) or anti-CD8 antibody (2.43). All mice receiving CYP alone or CYP + sensitized, nonactivated DLN cells demonstrated progressive tumor growth. One hundred percent (6/6) of mice treated with CYP + AIT with B/I-activated,10-day expanded cells had complete regression of 3-day flank tumors. Treatment with activated, nonexpanded cells, induced tumor regression in a majority of mice, but was not as reliable as AIT with expanded cells. We developed a protocol with a shortened expansion period (3-day) that was efficacious for treatment of 4T07 when adoptively transferred to either 3 or 10 day tumor-bearing mice. In vivo depletion of CD4(+) cells had no effect on regression of 3-day tumors, but treatment with anti-CD8 antibody abrogated the effect of immunotherapy. Adoptive transfer of B/I-activated cells, with or without long-term expansion, induced regression of early and late stage 4T07 tumors and is dependent on CD8(+) but not CD4(+) T cells.

Successful resuscitation of patient with massive coronary air embolism occluding two vessels during coronary angiography--a case report.

Massive coronary air embolism is usually disastrous although successful resuscitation has been reported previously. To what extent a patient with coronary air embolism can be resuscitated is not known. The authors report a rare case of massive air embolism to the left coronary arteries and successful resuscitation by vigilantly maintaining an effective driving force to dissipate the air lock.

A microbiological study of vaginal discharge in women attending a Malaysian gynaecological clinic.

Vaginal discharge is a common complaint of women attending gynaecological clinics. The purpose of this study was to compare the occurrence of commonly implicated microorganisms in vaginal discharge amongst women with or without the complaint, attending a gynaecological and family planning clinic. The association of Gardnerella vaginalis with bacterial vaginosis was also studied. It was found that there were no significant differences between the cases and controls in the isolation rate of Gardnerella vaginalis, Torulopsis glabrata, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma ssp and Group B streptococcus (p greater than 0.05). Only the isolation rate of Candida albicans was significantly higher in the cases than controls (p less than 0.01). However, there was a significant association of G. vaginalis with bacterial vaginosis.

Nasofacial zygomycosis.

Zygomycosis is an uncommon polymorphic fungal disease. One clinical subtype, nasofacial zygomycosis, is caused by infectious exposure to the organism Conidiobolus coronatus. A case affecting the nose and lips of a 42-year-old Malay man is reported here. The clinicopathologic features and management of this disease are described, and its differential diagnosis is discussed.

5-Fluorocytosine resistance in clinical isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans.

Thirty six clinical isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans were tested for their susceptibility to 5-fluorocytosine and amphotericin B by the determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum fungicidal concentrations. 22.2% of the isolates were resistant to 5-fluorocytosine and 36.1% indicated 5-fluorocytosine tolerance. All strains were sensitive to amphotericin B.

Concomitant cerebral and breast cryptococcosis.

A patient with a solitary intracranial cryptococcoma of the occipital lobe of the brain and a concomitant granuloma of similar aetiology in the breast is reported. Despite resistance of the causative fungus to 5-fluorocytosine in vitro, the patient responded well to radical excisional surgery and therapy with 5-fluorocytosine.