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While photonics is broadly considered as a leading solution for analog RF processing, photonic RF filters often show a limited out-of-band rejection. In this work we demonstrate a high rejection and high steepness photonic RF bandpass filter based on spectral hole burning in a rare earth ion-doped crystal. The filter is obtained by programming a frequency-selective absorption grating in the crystal. With an experimental and theoretical study we identify the optimal parameters for this filter. We achieve a remarkable rejection of 60 dB and a rejection of 45 dB at 50 MHz from the edge of the filter, compliant with most demanding applications.

ABSTRACTColistin resistance, although uncommon, is increasingly being reported among Gram-negative clinical pathogens, and an understanding of its impact on the activity of antimicrobials is now evolving. We evaluated the potential for synergy of colistin plus trimethoprim, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (1/19 ratio), or vancomycin against 12 isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii(n= 4), Pseudomonas aeruginosa(n= 4), and Klebsiella pneumoniae(n= 4). The strains included six multidrug-resistant clinical isolates, K. pneumoniaeATCC 700603, A. baumanniiATCC 19606, P. aeruginosaATCC 27853, and their colistin-resistant derivatives (KPm1, ABm1, and PAm1, respectively). Antimicrobial susceptibilities were assessed by broth microdilution and population analysis profiles. The potential for synergy of colistin combinations was evaluated using a checkerboard assay, as well as static time-kill experiments at 0.5× and 0.25× MIC. The MIC ranges of vancomycin, trimethoprim, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (1/19) were ≥128, 4 to ≥128, and 2/38 to >128/2,432 μg/ml, respectively. Colistin resistance demonstrated little impact on vancomycin, trimethoprim, or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole MIC values. Isolates with subpopulations heterogeneously resistant to colistin were observed to various degrees in all tested isolates. In time-kill assays, all tested combinations were synergistic against KPm1 at 0.25× MIC and 0.5× MIC and ABm1 and PAm1 at 0.5× MIC. In contrast, none of the tested combinations demonstrated synergy against any colistin-susceptible P. aeruginosaisolates and clinical strains of K. pneumoniaeisolates. Only colistin plus trimethoprim or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was synergistic and bactericidal at 0.5× MIC against K. pneumoniaeATCC 700603. Colistin resistance seems to promote the in vitroactivity of unconventional colistin combinations. Additional experiments are warranted to understand the clinical significance of these observations.

This is a review about recent clinical developments in rare cancers of the head and neck.

Presents the author's experience as a facilitator at the Office of Unemployment in Brussels, Belgium. His motivations for becoming a facilitator, including his professional experience and his knowledge of the socio-professional medium of the city; Lack of planning for the launch of the program of activation of the unemployed; Objectives of the program; Presence of single-parent families in the city; Difficulties faced by people, including ex-prisoners, depressed persons, people with physical disabilities and abused women, to get employment.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Unfortunately, patients with the same diagnostic and prognostic profile can have markedly different clinical outcomes. This most likely results from the fact that the current taxonomy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma groups molecularly different diseases with distinct clinical phenotypes into classifications based mainly on morphology. A combination of circumstances, including the advent of array-based technology and progress in the human genome initiative, now provides an ideal opportunity to begin performing comprehensive molecular and genetic profiling of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. This article reviews recently reported studies that have used such approaches.

The nepovirus Grapevine fanleaf virus(GFLV) is specifically transmitted by the nematode Xiphinema index.To identify the RNA2-encoded proteins involved in X. index-mediated spread of GFLV, chimeric RNA2 constructs were engineered by replacing the 2A, 2BMP, and/or 2CCPsequences of GFLV with their counterparts in Arabis mosaic virus(ArMV), a closely related nepovirus which is transmitted by Xiphinema diversicaudatumbut not by X. index.Among the recombinant viruses obtained from transcripts of GFLV RNA1 and chimeric RNA2, only those which contained the 2CCPgene (504 aa) and 2BMPcontiguous 9 C-terminal residues of GFLV were transmitted by X. indexas efficiently as natural and synthetic wild-type GFLV, regardless of the origin of the 2A and 2BMPgenes. As expected, ArMV was not transmitted probably because it is not retained by X. index.These results indicate that the determinants responsible for the specific spread of GFLV by X. indexare located within the 513 C-terminal residues of the polyprotein encoded by RNA2.

Abstract. The case of a 40-year-old black man, who developed a very unusual tumour-like lymphoid hyperplasia involving primarily the subcutaneous tissue, is reported. The lesion, which arose at a site of tribal scarifications, displayed a deceptive morphology that closely resembled subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL). An accurate diagnosis could only be made following detailed immunohistochemical and molecular studies. Although SPTCL has been thought to represent a very specific clinicopathologic entity, the present case illustrates that its histological appearance can, however, be closely mimicked by reactive and benign conditions.

Im Jahre 1995 unterzeichneten die Französischen Staatsbahnen (SNCF) die Verträge für die Realisierung der ersten Ingenieurbauten der zum Mittelmeer führenden Hochgeschwindigkeitsstrecke. Diese neue TGV‐Strecke verbindet den Norden und den Süden des Landes und sorgt gleichzeitig für die Anbindung der wichtigsten Städte im Süden. Der neue Streckenabschnitt beginnt in Valence und verläuft über Montélimar und Orange bis Avignon, wo sich die Strecke verzweigt und in der einen Richtung nach N�mes und Montpellier und in der anderen Richtung nach Aix‐en‐Provence und Marseille führt. Zwei Drittel der Gesamtinvestition sind für den Ingenieurbau bestimmt. Ein archtitektonisches Konzept gewährleistet, daß die an der 295 km langen Strecke befindlichen 500 Ingenieurbauwerke miteinander in Einklang stehen. Für die sieben ausgefallensten Bauwerke wurde ein Architekturwettbewerb ausgeschrieben, vier von diesen sind mit einem stählernen Bogentragwerk mit Verbund‐Brückentafel ausgelegt worden.

RNA2 of grapevine fanleaf virus is replicated in transby the RNA1-encoded replication machinery. Full processing of the RNA2-encoded polyprotein P2 yields protein 2A of unknown function, the movement protein 2BMP, and the coat protein 2CCP. Analysis of a set of deletion mutants in the P2-coding sequence revealed that protein 2A is necessary but not sufficient for RNA2 replication. In addition to the 5′ and 3′ noncoding sequences and the 2A-coding sequence, an additional sequence coding for 2BMPand/or 2CCPor the green fluorescent protein (GFP) is necessary for RNA2 replication. When 2A fused to GFP (2AGFP) was transiently expressed in uninfected T-BY2 protoplasts, 2AGFP appeared as punctate structures evenly distributed in the cytoplasm. However, in cells cotransfected with grapevine fanleaf virus RNAs and the 2AGFP construct, 2AGFP was predominantly found in a juxtanuclear location along with 1Dproand 1CVPg, two RNA1-encoded proteins involved in RNA replication. Viral RNA replication as traced by 5-bromouridine 5′ triphosphate (BrUTP) incorporation into newly synthesized RNA occurred at the same location. This colocalization is consistent with the hypothesis that 2A enables RNA2 replication through its association with the replication complex assembled from RNA1-encoded proteins.

InNicotiana sylvestris only four transcripts coding for the small subunit of RUBISCO are present in leaves. They are very closely related as they are identical in the nucleotide sequence of the non-coding regions and show only three silent point differences in the region coding for the mature peptide.

The presence of a genome-linked protein (VPg) at the RNA 5′-end of the genome is a characteristic of different groups of animal and plant positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses. These viruses express their structural and functional proteins from polyproteins that are sequentially processed by at least one viral proteinase. The grapevine fanleaf nepovirus 24K chymotrypsin-like cysteine proteinase, located between the VPg and the RNA polymerase in the RNA-1 encoded polyprotein P1, is active in its free form and in various precursors forms. The VPg proteinase precursor (VPg-Pro) constitutes a stable protein and its maturation in the reticulocyte lysate system occurs at a very low rate. Differences on cleavage activity were observed between the proteinase and its VPg-Pro precursor forms, depending upon the cleavage site considered. The proteinase alone has a greater cleavage efficiency than VPg-Pro at the Arg605/Gly606and Cys257/Ala258sites of polyprotein P2. On the other hand, the presumed Cys415/Ala416site, present at the amino terminus of polyprotein P1, was preferentially cleaved by the VPg-Pro precursor. During their in vitromaturation, proteins containing the VPg proteinase-polymerase coding region or the proteinase-polymerase region were similar in their ability to cleave in cisbetween the proteinase and the RNA polymerase.

Transcripts of the bicistronic RNA3 of alfalfa mosaic virus were synthesized using the in vitro T7 run‐off transcription system. Synthetic RNA3 containing one additional G nucleotide at the 5' end were found to be infectious when coinoculated with RNA1 and RNA2 and coat protein.

Transcripts of the bicistronic RNA3 of alfalfa mosaic virus were synthesized using the in vitro T7 run-off transcription system. Synthetic RNA3 containing one additional G nucleotide at the 5' end were found to be infectious when coinoculated with RNA1 and RNA2 and coat protein.

The nucleotide sequence of the cDNA clone pSTV34 is reported. It codes for the 68 COOH-terminal amino acids of the protein coding for the small subunit of the ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase and has a 3′ non-translated region 195 base pairs long. In the coding region this clone is 72% homologous with the corresponding cDNA clone from Pisum sativum.

The nucleotide sequence of the cDNA clone pSTV34 is reported. It codes for the 68 COOH‐terminal amino acids of the protein coding for the small subunit of the ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase and has a 3′ non‐translated region 195 base pairs long. In the coding region this clone is 72% homologous with the corresponding cDNA clone from Pisum sativum.

AbstractAim:The aim of the current study was to analyse the results of video assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) talc pleurodesis for malignant pleural effusion.Material and methods:From January 2002 to December 2004, 50 VATS procedures were performed under general anaesthesia on 48 patients for malignant pleural effusion. There were 45 women and 3 men with a median age of 57 years. The most common primary neoplasms were breast cancer (68%), ovarian cancer (6%), colon cancer (4%) and lung cancer (4%). Five patients had other types of tumour, including malignant lymphoma, fibrosarcoma, renal cell carcinoma, malignant pleural mesothelioma, acute myeloblastic leukaemia.Results:The average duration of the operation was 46 min (range 20–120). Median duration of postoperative drainage was 5 days (range 2–13) and postoperative hospitalisation was 8 days (range 2–13).Four patients had postoperative complications. Thirty-day mortality was 1/48. One patient died from myocardial infarction. Three postoperative complications were noted (one non-septic febrile episode, one bilateral pneumopathy and one transitory hypoxaemia, treated by non invasive ventilation). Patients were relieved from dyspnoea in 34/48 of the cases (71%). Median survival was 6 months (ranging from 14 days to 2 years).Conclusions:Early talc pleurodesis via VATS is a safe technique for successfully treating pleural effusion and preventing recurrence in palliative patients with a symptomatic malignant pleural effusion.

Text manipulations play an important part in various kinds of computations. The subject of text manipulations, is a well developed subject in computer science. The book deals with algorithms, and theoretical properties of texts. Most of algorithms are expressed in pseudo code. They are accompanied by their proofs of correctness, and complexity analysis. Some of them are explained with discussions containing examples, and diagrams. The stress is on combinatorial properties. The book is a part of a series on encyclopedia of mathematics.

Abstract.Métastasés of thyroid carcinoma to the sternum are not so frequent and ablative surgery enables the patients to live longer with a better quality of life. After such a resection, the surgical defect has to be covered either by autogenous or artificial substitutes.We present a 62 years old patient with an asymptomatic sternal metastasis of a poorly differentiated follicular thyroid carcinoma. After radical excision, including the sternum, both clavicular heads and an upper mediastinal dissection, the defect was reconstructed in two layers, combining a Marlex mesh and a pedicled pectoralis major muscle flap. Postoperative course was uneventful and respiratory function was not disturbed.

INTRAOCULAR talc particles have been described after intravenous (IV) injection of dissolved methylphenidate hydrochloride tablets.1,2 Presumably the talc, which is used as a filler in the methylphenidate tablet, is captured in the retinal capillaries, usually in the macular region. Although mild reductions in visual acuity after a talc injection have been reported,3 in most cases visual acuity has been normal.We report a case of bilateral severe visual loss secondary to talc emboli.Report of a CaseA 42-year-old black man was seen in December 1979 complaining of decreased vision. A "curtain" had descended into his visual field five days previously, but the patient could not tell if it was noted while using the right or left eye.The patient had been a heroin addict from 1968 to 1976. He then changed to IV injections of dissolved methylphenidate tablets, injecting from two to six tablets a day. He

Aim of the study1) Evaluation of the validity of the initial surgerywith regard to the prognostic index (as defined by the E.O.R. T.C.)—2) Evaluation of the occurrence: of local recurrences (central compartment), of regional recurrences (lateral compartment) and of distant metastases—3) Impact of the former events on survival.