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Observations of millions of stars in the Large Magellanic Clouds for a period of three years reveals the occurrence of two microlensing events, which may indicate the presence of dark matter in the universe. Haloes of dark matter which are not detectable encircle the galaxies of the universe. These dark bodies act as gravitational microlenses and influence the light emerging from nearby stars. The dark bodies move across the line of sight between the Earth and the stars.

BSTRACT [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on new nearby L and late-M dwarfs ( dphot≤ 30 pc) discovered in our search for nearby ultracool dwarfs ( I– J≥ 3.0, later than M8.0) at low Galactic latitude (| b| < 15°) over 4800 deg2 in the Deep Near Infrared Survey of the Southern Sky (DENIS) data base. We used late-M (≥ M8.0), L and T dwarfs with accurate trigonometric parallaxes to calibrate the M J versus I– J colour–luminosity relation. The resulting photometric distances have standard errors of ∼15 per cent, which we used to select candidates dphot≤ 30 pc. We measured proper motions from multi-epoch images found in the public archives ALADIN, DSS, 2MASS and DENIS, with at least three distinct epochs and time baselines of 10–21 yr. We then used a maximum reduced proper motion cut-off to select 28 candidates as ultracool dwarfs (M8.0–L8.0) and to reject one as a distant red star. No T dwarf candidates were found in this search, which required an object to be detected in all three DENIS bands. Our low-resolution optical spectra confirmed that 26 were indeed ultracool dwarfs, with spectral types from M8.0 to L5.5. Two contaminants and one rejected by the maximum reduced proper motion cut-off were all reddened F–K main sequence stars. 20 of these 26 ultracool dwarfs are new nearby ultracool dwarf members, three L dwarfs within 15 pc with one L3.5 at only ∼10 pc. We determine a stellar density of dwarfs pc−3 mag−1 over 11.1 ≤ M J≤ 13.1 based on this sample of M8–L3.5 ultracool dwarfs. Our ultracool dwarf density value is in good agreement with the measurement by Cruz et al. of the ultracool dwarf density at high Galactic latitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Somatostatin is a multifunctional hormone that modulates cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Mechanisms for somatostatin-induced apoptosis are at present mostly unsolved. Therefore, we investigated whether somatostatin receptor subtype 2 (sst2) induces apoptosis in the nontransformed murine fibroblastic NIH3T3 cells. Somatostatin receptor subtype 2 expression induced an executioner caspase-mediated apoptosis through a tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 (Src homology domain phosphatase-1)-dependent stimulation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activity and subsequent inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase JNK. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) stimulated both NF-κB and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) activities, which had opposite action on cell survival. Importantly, sst2 sensitized NIH3T3 cells to TNFα-induced apoptosis by (1) upregulating TNFα receptor protein expression, and sensitizing to TNFα-induced caspase-8 activation; (2) enhancing TNFα-mediated activation of NF-κB, resulting in JNK inhibition and subsequent executioner caspase activation and cell death. We have here unraveled a novel signaling mechanism for a G protein-coupled receptor, which directly triggers apoptosis and crosstalks with a death receptor to enhance death ligand-induced apoptosis.Cell Death and Differentiation (2007) 14, 197–208. doi:10.1038/sj.cdd.4401939; published online 28 April 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary In order to study the safety and the immunogenicity of the South African vaccine against the serotype 2 bluetongue virus, two groups of seven sheep were vaccinated with the vaccine used in the French island of Corsica. Vaccinated and non-vaccinated sheep were observed clinically and their rectal temperatures were recorded daily. The serological response in vaccinated animals confirmed the immunogenicity of the vaccine. Post-vaccinal viraemia was investigated and the vaccine genome was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). No viraemia was observed at post-vaccination days 4, 7 and 11 but the vaccine strain of virus was detected by RT-PCR throughout the experiment. The thermostability of the vaccine was also evaluated. The vaccine titre strongly decreased at temperatures higher than 35°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Couples in whom the man is infected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) increasingly request assisted reproductive technology (ART) to allow safe procreation. Semen quality is critical in such situations. METHODS: Semen characteristics were evaluated in 189 HIV-infected men requesting ART. At the time of semen analysis all men were healthy and 177 were receiving anti-retroviral therapy. Comparisons were made with HIV-seronegative men, partners of women requiring IVF because of tubal infertility, after matching for age and sexual abstinence delay. RESULTS: The most significant semen alterations found in the HIV-infected men were reduced percentages of rapidly progressive sperm [median (range), 10% (0–30%) compared with 15% (5–30%) in the controls, P < 0.001], and increased concentrations of non-spermatic cells [3×106/ml (0.2–16×106/ml) compared with 1.1×106/ml (0.1–14×106/ml) in the controls, P < 0.001]. HIV-infected men also showed lower ejaculate volumes [2.8 ml (0.6–9.3 ml) compared with 3.6 ml (1.1–11 ml), P < 0.05] and total sperm counts [262.5×106 (0–1003×106) compared with 310.5×106 (48.3–1679×106), P < 0.05]. CONCLUSIONS: Semen evaluation in a large population of HIV-infected men requesting ART evidenced several alterations. Some of these anomalies might be related to anti-retroviral treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Reservoir operating policies can be derived using stochastic dynamic programming (SDP) with different hydrologic state variables. This paper considers several choices for such hydrologic state variables for SDP models of the Shasta-Trinity system in northern California, for three different benefit functions. We compare how well SDP models predict their policies will perform, as well as how well these policies performed when simulated. For a benefit function stressing energy maximization, all policies did nearly as well, and the choice of the hydrologic state variable mattered very little. For a benefit function with larger water and firm power targets and severe penalties on corresponding shortages, predicted performance significantly overestimated simulated performance, and policies that employed more complete hydrologic information performed significantly better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares two approaches for implementing reservoir operating policies derived using stochastic dynamic programming (SDP) models. In particular, operating policies for the Shasta-Trinity system in Northern California are generated using SDP algorithms that employ either multilinear or multidimensional piecewise cubic functions to approximate the cost-to-go function. Release decisions in the simulations are then determined by either (1) interpolating in the policy tables or (2) reoptimizing the policy within the simulation, using the cost-to-go function generated by the SDP. The impact on simulated system performance of several discretization and interpolation schemes in the SDP is also evaluated. Reoptimizing the policy when a decision is made within the simulation resulted in better system performance, particularly when severe penalties were incurred for water and power shortages and coarse discretizations were employed in the SDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pharmacokinetic parameters of cefotaxime after either intramuscular (Lm.) or intravenous (i.v.) administration were determined in several studies involving about 200 healthy volunteers.In single-dose studies, the pharmacokinetics of cefotaxime appeared to be linear and dose-independent for doses up to 2 g. The mean peak concentration in serum after i.m. injection of 1 g of cefotaxime was ≃22 μg/ml at 0.5 h, whereas the level at 6 h was ≃1.5 μg. After i.v. bolus injection of 1 g of cefotaxime, the mean peak level was ≃105 μg, with an apparent volume of distribution of ≃25 1. After i.v. infusion serum levels ranged from ≃15 μg to ≃40μg, depending on the duration of infusion.Cefotaxime is rapidly eliminated: serum half-life ranged from 0.92 to 1.35 h after 1 g i.m. injection, and from 0.84 to 1.25 h after i.v. injection (terminal phase), the majority of the dose being excreted unchanged in the urine (≃51% within 8 h). Protein binding of cefotaxime ranged from 35 to 45 %. Thus the pharmacokinetic profile of cefotaxime was similar to that reported for cefoxitin, cefamandole and cefuroxime.Co-administration of lignocaine had no significant effect on the absorption and elimination kinetics of cefotaxime while probenecid increased and sustained plasma levels, acting primarily by inhibition of renal tubular secretion.In multiple-dose studies, cefotaxime was administered i.m. and i.v. at different doses, dosing intervals and for periods of 6 to 14 days. There was no evidence that the administration of cefotaxime up to 1 g 6-hourly for 14 days caused any significant accumulation in healthy volunteers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A total of 686 adult patients with complicated urinary tract infections were enrolled in a double-blind, randomised, multicentre study to compare sparfloxacin (200 mg loading dose on day 1 followed by 100 mg daily) with ciprofloxacin (500 mg orally twice daily) for 10 to 14 days. Urinary tract infection was defined as pyuria and bacteriuria (cfu ≥ 105/mL). Evaluations were performed at four time-points. The clinical efficacy of the two antibacterial agents was equivalent at the end of treatment: clinical cure in 88.6% of the intent-to-treat population and 87.3% in the evaluable population treated with sparfloxacin compared to 85.4% and 84.8% of the intent-to-treat and evaluable populations, respectively, treated with ciprofloxacin. The clinical results were also equivalent at follow-up. The bacteriological efficacy of the two agents was not equivalent. At the end of treatment, bacteriological cure was observed in 72.6% of the intent-to-treat and 72.1% of the evaluable populations treated with sparfloxacin and in 81.4% and 80.8% of the intent-to-treat and evaluable populations, respectively, treated with ciprofloxacin. The difference was primarily because of a higher number of persisting pathogens, which included Enterobacteriaceae other than Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and enterococci, which exhibited moderate susceptibility to sparfloxacin. Tolerability was similar in the two treatment groups. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Thirty-one patients with initial, recurrent or chronic prostatitis mainly caused by Enterobacteriaceae were treated with pefloxacin 400 mg bd for three to 105 days (median, 28 days).The clinical and bacteriological results four weeks after the end of the treatment, were: 23 patients (74%) cured, 21 without reinfection and two with reinfection, failure in two and relapse in six patients.Side-effects, which were definitely related to pefloxacin, occurred in seven patients (22.5%) and were of a photosensitization-, muscular- and neuropsychic-type. A high eosinophil count was observed in another patient. In one patient, treatment was withdrawn because of side-effects. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The pharmacokinetics of sodium fusidate were studied in eight healthy volunteers (five males and three females) aged 21 to 33 years (29.1 ± 1.5), weight 46 to 79 kg (61.6 ±4.0 kg). First, the subjects were given 500 mg of sodium fusidate by infusion over two hours; secondly, one month later, the volunteers were given 500 mg of fusidate by infusion every eight hours for three days; thirdly, two 250 mg tablets of a new film coated formulation were administered as a single dose. Plasma concentrations of fusidate were measured by HPLC. Peak plasma concentrations reached at the end of the first and the last infusions were 52±5 mg/l and 123±12 mg/l respectively. The following mean pharmacokinetic parameters were obtained after single intravenous administration: elimination half-life 10±1 h, total clearance 22±2ml/min and volume of distribution 0.30±0.04 1/kg. After repeated administration the half-life and the volume of distribution remained unchanged whereas total clearance was halved (11 ± 1 ml/min). This leads to an experimental accumulation ratio (3.6 ±0.2) higher than the theoretical one (1.8 ±0.1; P<0.01). Consequently, mean trough and peak steady state plasma concentrations (81±9 and 123±12 mg/l respectively) are higher than those expected from the single dose kinetics (33±4 and 76±7 mg/l respectively). This dose regimen leads to concentrations well above the MIC for most sensitive strains. After oral administration Cmax was 33±3 mg/l, obtained 2.1±0.3 h after drug intake; the mean half-life (16±3h) was not statistically different from that measured after intravenous injection. The mean absolute bioavai-lability was 91±5% (range 70–118%). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

New quinolones are very potent compounds against Gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas, and staphylococci. They are particularly interesting because of their oral availability and their pharmacokinetic properties. When combined with other common antibiotics they appear to have mostly indifferent effects in vitro.Clinical results have shown their efficacy when used alone for the treatment of osteomyelitis, complicated urinary tract infections and prostatitis. Nevertheless, in 6% of cases resistant strains were selected (Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Serratia, P. aeruginosa and staphylococci). The use of combinations of quinolones with other antibiotics was successful in the treatment of osteomyelitis and severe nosocomial infections including bacteraemia, and seems to prevent emergence of resistant strains. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The pharmacokinetics of cefotiam were investigated after intravenous administration of 1 g to 2 healthy volunteers with normal renal function and to 16 patients whose creatinine clearance ranged from 4.7 to 0.1 l/h (78 to 1.66 ml/min). The elimination half-life varied from 1.1 h in normal subjects to 13 h in patients and the total plasma clearance from 21 to 0.6 l/h (350 to 10 ml/min). The urinary recovery decreased from 62% of the dose in normal subjects to 1.1% in patients, and the renal clearance from 15 to 0.01 l/h (250 to 0.5 ml/min). Plasma and renal clearances of cefotiam correlated well with the creatinine clearance. The dosage schedule for cefotiam in patients with normal renal function can be used in the presence of renal failure when the creatinine clearance is equal to or greater than 1 l/h (16.6 ml/min). For patients whose creatinine clearance is less than 1 l/h, the dose must be decreased to 75% of that for a patient with normal renal function only when it is given every 6 or 8 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pharmacokinetic parameters of cefotetan were determined in six healthy adults after intramuscular (im) and intravenous (iv) administration of a single dose.After an iv bolus injection of 1 g cefotetan the mean peak serum level was 179.6 mg/l (s.e.m. ± 14.2 mg/l) at 2 min. The apparent volume of distribution was 10.29 1 (s.e.m. ±0.661). After im injections of 500 mg and 1 g of cefotetan the mean peak levels were 35 mg/l (s.e.m. ±1.6 mg/l) and 74 mg/l (s.e.m. ±3.6 mg/l) at 82 and 97 min respectively; the level at 12 h was 4.5 mg/l after 500 mg and 10.4 mg/l after 1 g. Cefotetan was slowly eliminated. The serum half-life was about 3.1 h after 1 g iv injection and varied from 3.4 to 3.7 h after the 500 mg and 1 g im injections. About 75 % of the dose was excreted in the urine during the first 24 h after 1 g iv bolus injection; after 500 mg and 1 g im injection 60 to 65% of the dose was recovered in the urine during the sarde time period. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Following a balanced incomplete block design, the pharmacokinetics of ticarcillin were studied in twelve healthy volunteers after intravenous injection and intramuscular administration of a 1 g dose, to calculate the absolute and relative bio availabilities of two ticarcillin preparations, one in aqueous solution and the other in a 3% benzyl alcohol solution. Serum levels and urinary excretion were determined at various time intervals by a microbiological assay. After iv administration, a two-compartment body model was used to analyse the data. The elimination half-life was 56 ± 14 min and the volume of the central compartment was 6·51, the volume of distribution at steady-state was 15·21 and the serum clearance 192 ml/min/1·73 m After im administration, there was no statistical difference between the two formulations, the absorption and elimination half-lives were 19·5 min and 79 min, respectively. Absolute bioavailability was determined by comparing the areas under the curve (AUC). The AUC after im injection of the aqueous preparation was 86·3% of the iv AUC and the corresponding figure for the benzyl alcohol preparation was 88·3%. Mean peak serum concentrations were 28·9 mg/l and 29·6 mg/l, respectively. Urinary excretion was 86·1%, 83·3% and 75·9% of the dose after iv, im (aqueous) and im (benzyl alcohol) injections, respectively. The volunteers did not feel any pain at the site of injection with the use of the benzyl alcohol preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Presents the preliminary results on a detailed study of the rich cluster of galaxies ABCG85. Observations and method; Comparison of the x-ray and galaxy distributions; Preliminary luminosity function in the V band; Conclusions.

Abstract Background As discontinuation in in vitro fertilization (IVF) programs has been associated with a poor prognosis, one hypothesis is that some couple-specific predictive factors in IVF may be shared with opposite effect by both success (i.e. live birth) and treatment discontinuation processes. Our objective was to perform a joint analysis of these two processes to examine the hypothesis of a link between the two processes. Methods Analyses were conducted on a retrospective cohort of 3,002 women who began IVF between 1998 and 2002 in two French IVF centers: a Parisian center and a center in a medium-sized city in central France. A shared random effects model based on a joint modelization of IVF treatment success and discontinuation was used to study the link between the two processes. Results Success and discontinuation processes were significantly linked in the medium-sized city center, whereas they were not linked in the Parisian center. The center influenced risk of treatment discontinuation but not chance of success. The well-known inverse-J relation between the woman’s age and chance of success was observed, as expected. Risk of discontinuation globally increased as the woman’s age increased. Conclusions The link between success and discontinuation processes could depend on the fertility center. In particular, the woman’s decision to pursue or to discontinue IVF in a particular center could depend on the presence of other IVF centers in the surrounding area.