Numerical method for weights adjustment in minimax multi‐model LQ‐control

The minimax linear quadratic problem, where ‘max’ is taken over a finite set of indices (models) and ‘min’ is taken over the set of admissible controls, is considered. The solution is obtained by the robust optimal control application. The control turns out to be a linear combination of the controls optimal for each individual model. This paper develops a numerical method for the optimal weights adjustment. An example shows a quick convergence of the proposed procedure. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Galea and subgalea graft for lip augmentation revision

In this paper we will review the results obtained during the last 2 years with the aponeurotic galea and subgalea for vermillion lip augmentation. The survey was carried out on 42 patients who displayed either an absence of or reduction in the vermillion of one or both lips or a senile lip. In all cases the surgical procedure introduced aponeurotic galea and subgalea in the space found between the orbicular lip muscle and the vestibular mucus, just behind the vermillion. All the operations were performed under local anaesthetic. The size of the aponeurotic galea fragment removed varied in length between 10 and 12 cms. and in width between 1 and 2 cms., using the following parameters for its dimensions: the previous volume of the lips, and the distance between the two buccal commissures when in the “smile position.”     

Intestinal microvillous atrophy in a patient with Down syndrome and aganglionic megacolon

Intestinal microvillous disorders are an uncommon cause of severe diarrhea, with very poor prognosis. The authors report the case of a female infant with Down syndrome, aganglionic megacolon, severe diarrhea, and jejunal biopsy with ultrastructural changes consistent with microvillous atrophy. The patient condition improved after a colostomy performed in the setting of the treatment of Hirschprung disease.     

Analysis of the coxsackievirus B-adenovirus receptor gene in patients with myocarditis or dilated cardiomyopathy

Myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are common causes of morbidity and mortality in children and adults, most commonly due to infection with coxsackievirus B or adenovirus. Increased expression of the common human coxsackievirus B-adenovirus receptor (CAR) has been reported in patients with DCM. We investigated the CAR gene in patients with acquired or familial myocarditis/DCM for mutations/polymorphisms. Several polymorphisms or intronic substitutions, distant from the intron-exon boundaries, were identified but no mutations. Based upon these data it appears that CAR gene mutations are not a major host determinant in the development of myocarditis and DCM.     

Isolation and characterization of subgenomic DNAs encapsidated in "single" T = 1 isometric particles of Maize streak virus

"Single" T = 1 isometric particles of Maize streak virus (MSV) have been isolated from infected maize leaves. Biochemical and genetic characterizations show that these particles contain subgenomic (sg) MSV DNA encapsidated by the MSV coat protein. The largest sg DNA is 1.56 kb, slightly larger than half genome size, although sg DNAs as small as 0.2 kb were also cloned. The sg DNAs are not infectious, and they do not appear to play a role in the pathogenicity of MSV. This is the first report of sg DNAs for MSV and, to our knowledge, the first time that encapsidated sg DNAs have been characterized at the sequence level for any geminivirus. These data will assist in our investigations into the role of genomic DNA in the formation of the unique geminate capsid architecture of the Geminiviridae.     

Quantitative trait locus for reading disability on chromosome 6p is pleiotropic for attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Comorbidity is pervasive among both adult and child psychiatric disorders; however, the etiological mechanisms underlying the majority of comorbidities are unknown. This study used genetic linkage analysis to assess the etiology of comorbidity between reading disability (RD) and attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), two common childhood disorders that frequently co‐occur. Sibling pairs (N = 85) were ascertained initially because at least one individual in each pair exhibited a history of reading difficulties. Univariate linkage analyses in sibling pairs selected for ADHD from within this RD‐ascertained sample suggested that a quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 6p is a susceptibility locus for ADHD. Because this QTL is in the same region as a well‐replicated QTL for reading disability, subsequent bivariate analyses were conducted to test if this QTL contributed to comorbidity between the two disorders. Analyses of data from sib pairs selected for reading deficits revealed suggestive bivariate linkage for ADHD and three measures of reading difficulty, indicating that comorbidity between RD and ADHD may be due at least in part to pleiotropic effects of a QTL on chromosome 6p. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Experimental infection of immunomodulated NOD/LtSz-SCID mice as a new model for Plasmodium falciparum erythrocytic stages

The main objective of this study was to determine whether a chemical immunomodulation protocol could reduce the resistance of NOD/LtSz-SCID mice to Plasmodium falciparum infection and provide an improved mouse model for screening the antimalarial activity of new compounds. This model was compared with the presently used immunodeficient Beige/Nude/Xid (BNX) mouse model, using the same protocol, in terms of percentage of infected mice, parasite development, leukocyte response and phagocytosis of P. falciparum infected cells in various organs. Our results show that the combination of the chemical immune modulation protocol with the genetic background of NOD/LtSz-SCID mice results in the development of long-lasting P. falciparum infection in a high percentage of mice. A comparison of the results obtained in the histological study for both mouse models suggests that the higher rate of success in NOD/LtSz-SCID mice could be related to the reduced macrophage recruitment developed in different tissues to remove the parasite from blood.     

Haplotype analysis of the BRCA2 9254delATCAT recurrent mutation in breast/ovarian cancer families from Spain

A frame-shift 9254del5 mutation was independently identified in 12 families, eleven of them with Spanish ancestors, in a BRCA2 screening performed in 841 breast and/or ovarian cancer families and in 339 women with breast cancer diagnosed before the age of 40 at different centers in France and Spain. We sought to analyze in detail the haplotype and founder effects of the 9254del5 and to estimate the time of origin of the mutation. Eight polymorphic microsatellite markers and two BRCA2 polymorphisms were used for the haplotype analyses. The markers were located flanking the BRCA2 gene spanning a region of 6.1 cM. Our results suggest that these families shared a common ancestry with BRCA2 9254del5, which is a founder mutation originating in the Northeast Spanish, with an estimated age of 92 (95% CI 56-141) generations.