Autonomic Information Flow Rhythms-From Heat Beat Interval to Circadian Variation

This article evaluates the association of autonomic information flow (AIF) measures with dysfunction and prognosis in selected diseases and measures their circadian rhythms.     

Age, skill, and contextual cuing in target detection.

This study examined the extent to which structural regularities inherent in visual arrays help to guide target detection and reduce age-related differences in skilled visual search performance. The target-detection performance of medical laboratory technologists in 2 age groups (M = 24.3 years and M = 49.0 years) and age-matched novices was assessed using images of bacterial morphology taken from Gram's stain photomicrographs as targets and search arrays. For skilled observers, response times were longer for middle-aged adults than for young adults except when external location cues were available, or when contextual cues inherent in the array were available to guide target detection. These results demonstrate that contextual information aids the skilled search of middle-aged experts, and suggest that contextual cuing is 1 means by which middle-aged adults can circumvent the effects of normally age-deficient processes on performance in a skilled domain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Human papillomavirus distribution in cervical tissues of different morphology as determined by hybrid capture assay and PCR

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the functional response, morbidity and histostructural changes in rats enterectomized and without cecum using two types of syngenic enteral transplants. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Controlled randomized surgical-therapeutic trial. Four groups of male Lewis rats 8-10 weeks old underwent the following procedures: 1. Lethal enteral resection (n = 10). 2. Lethal enteral resection + total yeyuno-ileal transplant (n = 28). 3. Lethal enteral resection + distal segmentary of 40% and cecum transplant (n = 32). 4. Control group (n = 10). RESULTS: 11% of the transplanted animals died due to technical failures; both transplanted groups had a similar proportion of late complications, mostly enteral obstruction. A persistent diarrhea was observed in 20% of the yeyuno-ileal transplanted group, but no significant differences were found between the two groups concerning survival, weight gain, protein and triglycerides serum levels, and a maltose absorption test; villus and crypt hypertrophy was observed in both grafts. The enteral graft integration was followed by structural changes similar to those found in intestinal remnants on deficit conditions after enteral resection. CONCLUSION: The bowel distal segmentary transplant with ileocecal valve and cecum may be a good option in cases of irreversible enteral failure, as the functional response and morbidity are similar to those found with the standard total transplant.     

The influence of various factors on breast-feeding in Slovenia

During natural infections, Leishmania is in contact with a variety of mononuclear phagocytic cells in different tissues, including resident macrophages and monocytes mobilized to the site of infection from the bone marrow and blood circulation. Because the functional capabilities of fully differentiated macrophages and blood monocytes differ, the outcome of infection by Leishmania may depend upon the stage of differentiation of the host cells. To address this question, we evaluated Leishmania panamensis infection of (1) the human promonocytic/histiocytic cell line U-937 before and after induction of differentiation by phorbol myristate acetate; (2) fresh human peripheral blood monocytes; and (3) macrophages derived from monocytes by differentiation in vitro. Based on the percentage of cells infected and the number of parasites per cell, macrophages derived from monocytes or by induction of differentiation of U-937 cells were significantly more permissive to infection by stationary-phase L. (Viannia) panamensis promastigotes than monocytes. Increasing time and maturation in culture prior to exposure to infective promastigotes was associated with the increased permissiveness of differentiated macrophages to infection (P<0.05). The percentage of cells infected and number of amastigotes per cell increased with time postinfection for both monocytes and macrophages but remained significantly greater for macrophages. The increased expression of CD68, CD16, and lysozyme, and decreased expression of peroxidase by macrophages cultured for 5 days in vitro compared with fresh monocytes, whether adherent or in suspension, supported the distinct maturation status of these cells.     

The associative-memory basis of cognitive skill learning: Adult age differences.

It has been established that memorizing common problems and their solutions underlies cognitive skill development, and that there are substantial age deficits in the rate of this learning. In a between-groups design, the authors compared learning rates for the same set of problems in skill (SK) training and paired-associate (PA) training. The authors found main effects due to condition (PA problems were acquired earlier) and to age (older adults' learning was delayed), but no condition-by-age interaction. The authors concluded that the age deficit in SK can be accounted for by the age deficit in associative memory; no further explanation is needed. The authors also analyzed fast and slow retrieves in SK and PA, and found that the frequency of fast retrieves did not differ in the two conditions. The overall advantage of PA was due to the occurrence of slow retrieves, which were absent in SK presumably because the skill algorithm displaces slow, explicit memory search in SK, but not fast, familiarity-based retrieval. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Löten von Aluminiummatrix‐Verbundwerkstoffen mit modifizierten Löttechnologien

Soldering of aluminium matrix composites by modified technologies The correct procedure is for the soldering of aluminium‐matrix‐composites very important. Two basic facts must be given. On the one hand the oxides on the surface must be destroyed and removed for wetting. On the other hand the thermal influence on the basic material must be kept down. Otherwise the intended profile of the composites will change. That’s why the work temperature of the solder must be less than 300 °C. The tin‐based solders offer large potentials. However the low strength and creep stability of these solders have a harmful effect. For improving the characteristics oft the solder reinforcement with ceramic particles is meaningful. Presented were selected results of the particles containing solders. Thereby the compound strength and the creep behavior are regarded.