Vibrating wire sensors are widely used to monitor the deformation of large civil structures, such as dams, bridges and nuclear power plants. The operating principle is based on a stainless steel wire ...excited magnetically into resonance by a coil. The wire excitation is a key point for improving the sensor performances. This paper deals with the wire response under the effect of the coil placed at different positions and supplied by different excitation signals. The resonant frequencies of a wire without or with bending stiffness are derived. For each resonant frequency, the influence of the excitation position on the wire vibration is investigated using Green’s function method. The theoretical analysis is experimentally verified by measuring the sensor response in the cases of continuous, short-pulsed and long-pulsed excitations. It is shown that improper excitation may lead to measurement errors. The optimal excitation mode for maximizing the excitation efficiency and inhibiting the high-order resonant frequencies is discussed.
We report the cytogenetic results obtained in 81 multiple myeloma (MM) patients with abnormal karyotypes. Most karyotypes were complex with numerical and structural abnormalities but the analysis of ...chromosomal abnormalities allowed identification of two cytogenetic patterns depending on the chromosome number: a first hyperdiploid pattern (54%) with recurrent trisomies 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 15 and 19 and a second pattern (46%) showing either pseudodiploid, hypodiploid or near-tetraploid karyotypes. Structural abnormalities were present in all but five hyperdiploid karyotypes, and frequently involved lymphoid breakpoints: immunoglobulin gene regions (36 cases) or chromosome 11q13 region (21 cases). Numerous other structural aberrations were detected; the most frequent involved chromosome 1 and chromosome 13. Structural abnormalities were significantly more frequent in the second hypodiploid group. When analyzing the results obtained in the 60 patients studied at the time of diagnosis, a prognostic correlation was found between the cytogenetic pattern and overall survival: hyperdiploid patients had a longer survival than patients belonging to the pseudo/hypo/near-tetraploid group (median survival 36.8 vs 18.2 months, P < 0.04). These results suggest that MM could correspond to two closely related diseases.
We report a large family with a temporal partial epilepsy syndrome inherited in an autosomal dominant mode, with a penetrance of about 80%. This epilepsy syndrome is benign, with age of onset in the ...second or third decade of life. It is characterized by rare partial seizures, usually secondarily generalized, arising mostly during sleep, without postictal confusion. There is a good response to the antiepileptic therapy but often a recurrence of seizures after drug withdrawal. The partial component, visual (lights, colors, and simple figures) or auditory (buzzing or “humming like a machine”), the existence of temporo‐occipital interictal electroencephalographic epileptiform abnormalities, and the hypoperfusion in the temporal lobe detected by interictal hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime–technetium 99m (HMPAO‐Tc99m) single‐photon emission computed tomography, strongly suggest a lateral temporal lobe origin. The genetic analysis found linkage to chromosome 10q, and localized a gene in a 15‐cM interval that overlaps a previously found localization for partial epilepsy in a large three‐generation family. This syndrome could be called autosomal dominant lateral temporal epilepsy. Ann Neurol 1999;45:182–188
To analyze retrospectively survival and prognostic factors of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) autografted from 1979 to 1995 in a single institution.
A total of 120 patients, 64 with ...aggressive and 56 with low-grade NHL, were autografted. The carmustine (BCNU), etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan (BEAM) regimen was used in 104. The autograft was marrow in 101 patients. Marrow was purged in vitro by mafosfamide for 63 patients (adjusted dose AD in 32; unique dose UD in 31); 27 patients received a CD34+-selected graft. Following intensification, 45 patients received additional radiotherapy on previous sites of involvement.
Outcome at 5 years for patients transplanted with low-grade NHL in first complete remission (CR1), in first partial remission (PR1), and in second complete remission (CR2) or beyond showed an event-free survival (EFS) of 75% +/- 12%, 46% +/- 18%, and 57% +/- 24%, a relapse incidence (RI) of 21% +/- 12%, 49% +/- 19%, and 43% +/- 25%, and a transplant-related mortality (TRM) of 5% +/- 5%, 10% +/- 7%, and 0%, respectively. For patients with aggressive NHL transplanted in CR1, in PR1, in CR2 or beyond, and in resistant relapse or in primary refractory disease, the EFS was of 73% +/- 9%, 58% +/- 19%, 29% +/- 16%, and 10% +/- 9%, the RI 22% +/- 9%, 14% +/- 9%, 77% +/- 18%, and 66% +/- 20%, and the TRM 6% +/- 6%, 32% +/- 21%, 11% +/- 10%, and 71% +/- 22%, respectively. In patients autografted upfront in first remission, additional radiotherapy was associated with a higher EFS, in univariate (P = .03) and multivariate analysis (P = .02, relative risk RR = .021). The role of graft purging with mafosfamide on the outcome reflected by the dose of colony-forming unit-granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) per kilogram infused postpurging was assessed by univariate analysis: patients in first remission who received lower doses of CFU-GM had a lower RI and a higher EFS.
This retrospective analysis suggests that marrow purging and posttransplant radiotherapy improve the outcome of patients with NHL autografted in first remission.
In chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) imatinib mesylate has been shown to selectively inhibit the tyrosine kinase domain of the oncogenic bcr-abl fusion protein. Using this agent alone high rates of ...cytogenetic responses were recorded. However, several mechanisms of resistance have been described. In vitro studies examining the effects of imatinib mesylate plus cytarabine have shown synergistic antiproliferative effects of this combination. Thus, the CML French Group decided to perform a phase 2 trial testing a combination of imatinib mesylate and low-dose cytarabine in 30 previously untreated patients in chronic phase. Treatment was administered on 28-day cycles. Patients were treated continuously with imatinib mesylate orally at a dose of 400 mg daily. Cytarabine was given on days 15 to 28 of each cycle at an initial dose of 20 mg/m2/d via subcutaneous injection. Adverse events were frequently observed with grade 3 or 4 hematologic toxicities and nonhematologic toxicities in 53% (n = 16) and 23% (n = 7) of patients, respectively. The cumulative incidence of complete cytogenetic response (CCR) at 12 months was 83% and at 6 months 100% of the patients achieved complete hematologic response (CHR). We concluded that the combination was safe and promising given the rates of response. (Blood. 2003;102:4298-4305)
Background Relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's disease (HD) patients were treated with an intensive salvage regimen (MINE) prior to high-dose therapy (HDT) with hematopoietic stem cell support. Patients ...and methods One hundred HD patients who either failed to respond to a front-line chemotherapy regimen (induction failure, n—41) or relapsed (untreated relapse, n—54; resistant relapse, n—5) were treated with the MINE regimen. Each course of MINE comprised mitoguazone 500 mg/m2 on days 1 and 5, ifosfamide 1500 mg/m2/d from day 1 to day 5, vinorelbine (Navelbine®) 15 mg/m2 on days 1 and 5, and etoposide 150 mg/m2/d from day 1 to day 3. At least two courses were given at 4-week intervals. Then, 72 patients received HDT followed by hematopoietic stem cell support. Results After MINE salvage, 34 patients achieved a complete response (CR) and 39 a partial response, yielding an overall response rate of 75%. Patients with untreated relapse had a 92.5% response rate and those with resistant relapse or induction failure a 53% response rate. A total of 58 patients reached a CR at the end of all treatments; 12 of them relapsed. Sixty-six patients were alive with a median follow-up of 26 months, including 46 patients in CR. The 2-year survival rate for the entire group was 59%. By univariate analysis, patients with an interval between their last treatment and salvage longer than 12 months, untreated relapse, or good performance status at salvage are shown to have longer survivals. The main toxic effects were neutropenia, thrombo-cytopenia, and infectious episodes. Three patients died of MINE-related complications and three after HDT. Conclusion Given early in the course of progressive HD, the MINE regimen reduced tumor burden in a high proportion of patients with relapsed or refractory disease. Responding patients further intensified with HDT have a better outcome than those who have not responded to salvage treatment.
A hundred and eight patients less than 60 years old with de novo acute myeloid leukemia were treated between 1982 and 1994 by protocols including final intensification with a transplant using ...autologous bone marrow purged by mafosfamide in first remission in the absence of an HLA-matched sibling donor available for allograft. From 1989, we attempted to improve tumor control by using high-dose anthracyclines in induction, by increasing from one to two the number of consolidation courses pre-transplant and by introducing intermediate doses of cytarabine in the first consolidation course. The CR rate was 77% (33/43) before 1989 and 90% (59/65) after 1989 (P = 0.06). Forty-five out of the 59 patients (76%) who achieved CR after 1989 could undergo bone marrow grafting in CR1 vs 16/33 (48%) before 1989 (P = 0.01). In spite of the higher proportion of patients above 50 years after 1989 (32%) toxicity was mild and an adequate graft was obtained more frequently after one collection. The principal factor relating to improvement in graft feasibility was the post-1989 modification of induction and consolidation regimens. This improvement in graft feasibility was associated with a better disease-free survival (DFS) (48 +/- 7% vs 32 +/- 8%, P = 0.04) and overall survival (OS) (53 +/- 6% vs 30 +/- 7%, P = 0.007) at 5 years. By multivariate analysis four factors were associated with overall survival (OS): karyotype, white blood cell count at diagnosis, treatment regimen and bone marrow grafting in CR1. This global approach should be prospectively compared with intensive chemotherapy.
PDF
