Abstract: Adiabatic RF pulses are very useful in MRI when precise flip angles are needed. Unfortunately, adiabatic pulses suffer from a long application time and a high SAR. A new concept to modify the usual adiabatic pulse into a “pseudo-adiabatic” pulse having a shorter application time and lower SAR is introduced. For example, a BIR-4 of 32 ms of application time and a relative SAR of 20 will be transformed into a BIR-4-S1 of 1 ms and relative SAR of 1. The new pulse obtained stays insensitive for a large B1 range but loses its slice selectivity to become a 3D pulse. Experimental results are presented to illustrate the sensitivity to B1 and B0.

Abstract: An anti-apoptotic agent and a composition derived therefrom, and methods to prevent apoptosis in vivo and in vitro are provided. The anti-apoptotic agent comprises R1 subunit of Herpes simplex virus (HSV) ribonucleotide reductase, or its N-terminal portion of about 350 amino acids. HSV-R1 inhibited TNF-&agr; induced apoptosis, and blocked caspase 8 activation induced by TNF-&agr; and Fas-L expression.

Abstract: Symptoms of stress such as elevated blood pressure in mammals are treated, and mammalian bodies are preconditioned to manifest reduced adverse reactions to subsequently encountered stresses, by injecting into the mammalian patient a small quantity of the patient's own blood which has been previously extracted and subjected extracorporeally to at least one stressor, such as ultraviolet radiation, an oxidative environment, ozone-oxygen and mild heating, especially infra-red radiation causing mild heating. Particularly beneficial combinations of stressors are simultaneous applications of UV radiation and an ozone-oxygen gas mixture bubbled through the blood sample to provide the oxidative environment, or simultaneous application of UV radiation, ozone-oxygen gas mixtures and mild heating. One specific use of the invention is in preconditioning against ischemic-reperfusion injury e.g. prior to surgery.

Abstract: Symptoms of stress such as elevated blood pressure in mammals are treated, and mammalian bodies are preconditioned to manifest reduced adverse reactions to subsequently encountered stresses, by injecting into the mammalian patient a small quantity of the patient's own blood which has been previously extracted and subjected extracorporeally to at least one stressor, such as ultraviolet radiation, an oxidative environment, ozone-oxygen and mild heating, especially infra-red radiation causing mild heating. Particularly beneficial combinations of stressors are simultaneous applications of UV radiation and an ozone-oxygen gas mixture bubbled through the blood sample to provide the oxidative environment, or simultaneous application of UV radiation, ozone-oxygen gas mixtures and mild heating. One specific use of the invention is in preconditioning against ischemic-reperfusion injury, e.g. prior to surgery.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a radiolabeled DNA oligonucleotide, a method of preparation thereof and the therapeutic uses of this substance to prevent uncontrolled cellular proliferation. The invention also relates to devices incorporating the above radiolabeled DNA oligonucleotide for the therapeutic treatment of uncontrolled cellular proliferation. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with the prevention of restenosis by coronary delivery of radiolabeled DNA oligonucleotide at a dilatation site of an artery. This invention is also directed to a method of treatment of vascular proliferative diseases and/or other proliferative disorders such as cancer and related metastasis.