On Sarason: Technology, yes; science, no.

Comments on S. B. Sarason's (see record 1984-28403-001) assertion that something should not be investigated or developed just because it can be. The present author suggests that (1) the constraints proposed by Sarason could result in dependence on tradition rather than new knowledge; (2) a distinction should be made between science, whose goal is to uncover knowledge, and technology, whose goal is to develop applications of this knowledge; and (3) constraints should be limited to technology. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Production, characterization and application of monoclonal antibodies against the organophosphorus nerve agent Vx

Two monoclonal antibodies (Vx-BB8 and Vx-EA11) to the chemical warfare agent Vx were produced and characterized. A competitive inhibition enzyme immunoassay was developed to detect Vx concentrations as low as 3.7 x 10(-7) - 3.7 x 10(-6) mol/l in biological samples. Vx-BB8 400 micrograms given intravenously immediately before 1 x LD95 Vx or 400 micrograms Vx-BB8 intraperitoneally 1.5 h-3 days before 1 x LD95 Vx could protect all the tested mice from death.     

Will the real Freud stand up, please?

Comments on an article by T. Parisi (see record 1987-21061-001). Parisi's article is helpful in placing Freud's theory construction in an accurate historical context. He correctly argued that views of Freud that portray him as a wrong-headed neurophysiologist, a frustrated physicalist, or a biological reductionist are wrong. B. Silverstein takes issue with Parisi on his view of Freud, without arguing for or against the Freudian position. Parisi pointed out that Freud's research and clinical experience helped him to see more clearly than anyone before or since that a theory of mind would have to successfully incorporate two fundamentally different classes of phenomena: the physical (biological) and the mental. While avoiding mysticism, Freud did hold to a dualistic position. Very early in his career, Freud espoused a dualistic-interactionist position in which equal but qualitatively different status was granted to the physical and to the mental. Even though Freud could not conceive of the mechanism that allowed mind and body to interact, he believed causal efficacy could flow in both directions. With psychoanalysis, Freud developed a theory of relationships between mind and body without providing a metaphysical or mechanical account of how the mind-body interaction that the theory assumed must occur did occur. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Release of carbon disulfide is a contributing mechanism in the axonopathy produced by N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate

The ADV-G isolate of Aleutian mink disease parvovirus (ADV) replicates permissively in Crandell feline kidney (CRFK) cells but is nonpathogenic for mink, whereas the highly pathogenic ADV-Utah isolate is nonviable in CRFK cells. To assign control of host range in CRFK cells and pathogenicity to specific regions of the ADV genome, we constructed a full-length molecular clone chimeric between ADV-G and ADV-Utah. If either the map unit (MU) 54-65 (clone G/U-5) or MU 65-88 (clone G/U-7) sections were ADV-Utah, viability in CRFK cells was abolished, thus indicating that in vitro host range was controlled by two independent determinants: A in the MU 54-65 segment and B in the MU 65-88 segment. Determinant B could be divided into two subregions, B1 (MU 65-69) and B2 (MU 73-88), neither of which alone could inhibit replication in CRFK cells, an observation suggesting that expression of the B determinant required interaction between noncontiguous sequences. Adult mink of Aleutian genotype inoculated with G/U-8 or G/U-10 developed viremia, antiviral antibody, and histopathological changes characteristic of progressive Aleutian disease. The capsid sequences of G/U-8 and G/U-10 differed from ADV-G at five and four amino acid residues, respectively. Our results suggested that the host range and pathogenicity of ADV are regulated by sequences in the capsid protein gene.     

Control of Leishmania major infection in mice lacking TNF receptors

TNF participates in the induction of nitric oxide (NO) production and macrophage activation, leading to the elimination of intracellular pathogens. We previously found that TNF receptor p55-deficient mice (TNFRp55-/-) control replication of Leishmania major in vivo but fail to resolve their lesions. Here we report that mice lacking the p75 receptor (TNFRp75-/-) or both receptors (TNFRp55p75-/-), also control parasite replication, albeit mice lacking the p55 receptor (either TNFRp55-/- or TNFRp55p75-/-) are delayed in their elimination of L. major compared with controls. All TNF receptor-deficient mice developed a Thl-type immune response and up-regulated inducible NO synthase (iNOS) mRNA gene expression in lesions during infection. Thus, neither TNF receptor appears to be absolutely required for NO production or elimination of L. major in vivo. In vitro, however, while macrophages from naive TNFRp75-/- mice could be activated to produce NO and kill L. major, we observed a defect in NO production and parasite killing by resident peritoneal macrophages from naive TNFRp55-/- or TNFRp55p75-/- mice. However, when macrophages were elicited with leishmanial Ag from 4-wk-infected TNFRp55-/- or TNFRp55p75-/- mice, they produced NO and were leishmanicidal. These data suggest that the TNFRp75 plays no essential role in L. major infection in mice and that the p55 receptor may be required for optimal macrophage activation. However, the results also show that a mechanism exists by which macrophages can be primed in vivo during L. major infection to produce NO and kill L. major in the absence of signaling through either of the TNF receptors.     

A Monte Carlo evaluation of three formula estimates of cross-validated multiple correlation.

To determine the stability of regression equations, researchers have typically employed a cross-validation design in which weights are developed on an estimation subset of the sample and then applied to the members of a holdout sample. The present study used a Monte Carlo simulation to ascertain the accuracy with which the shrinkage in R–2 could be estimated by 3 formulas developed for this purpose. Results indicate that R. B. Darlington's (see record 1968-08053-001) and F. M. Lord (1950) and G. E. Nicholson's (1960) formulas yielded mean estimates approximately equal to actual cross-validation values, but with smaller standard errors. Although the Wherry estimate is a good estimate of population multiple correlation, it is an overestimate on population cross-validity. It is advised that the researcher estimate weights on the total sample to maximize the stability of the regression equation and then estimate the shrinkage in R–2 that he/she can expect when going to a new sample with either the Lord-Nicholson or Darlington estimation formulas. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Simplified purification of Listeria monocytogenes listeriolysin O and preliminary application in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

A simplified procedure was developed for purification of listeriolysin O (LLO) of Listeria monocytogenes, consisting of hydroxylapatite adsorption chromatography followed by Sepharose S ion exchange chromatography. The LLO (58 kDa) appeared pure in terms of sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide electrophoresis and immunoblots with polyclonal rabbit immune sera. The purified LLO could be stored at -65 degrees C for 1 year without loss of immunoreactivity. Similarly, flat-bottom microtiter strips from two vendors that had been charged with LLO, could be stored at -65 degrees C for up to 3 months without loss of LLO. Three patients with documented listeriosis developed elevated IgG titres against LLO; 2 of the patients revealed minimally raised IgM titres, as determined with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.     

Properties of motor units of the frog sartorius muscle

1. The mechanical properties of single motor units in the sartorius muscle of the frog Litoria aurea were examined during single shock and repetitive stimulation of motor axons. 2. The tetanic tension developed by motor units lay in the range 1-40% of whole muscle tension with two peaks in the distribution, in the range 5-10% and 25-30%. The large units had briefer times-to-peak for the twitch than the small units and were more readily fatigued during prolonged repetitive stimulation. 3. Histological examination of the muscle gave a count of 620 muscle fibres with a diameter range of 28-128 mum. Cholinesterase stained preparations showed that the majority of muscle fibres had several nerve terminals (mean 3, range 1-5). 4. Muscle fibres received their multiple innervation from different axons (polyneuronal) or branches of the same axon (multiterminal). The presence of polyneuronal innervation of muscle fibres was confirmed by a comparison of the tensions when each of a pair of motor units was stimulated alone and when they were stimulated together. The tension excess, or overlap, was up to 60% when expressed in terms of the tension developed by either unit alone. Motor units developing similar amounts of tension tended to show more overlap in their innervation than units with very different tensions. 5. An estimate of the amount of multiterminal innervation gave variable results but could account for up to 60% of a motor unit's tension. No correlation could be detected between the values for multiterminal innervation and any other measured parameter. However, it is argued that because of the limitations of the measurements the existence of a relationship between the extent of multiterminal or polyneuronal innervation and the mechanical properties of the motor unit cannot be excluded.     

Learning rule-described and non-rule-described categories: A comparison of children and adults.

Three experiments investigated the ability of 3-, 5-, and 8-year-old children as well as adults to learn sets of perceptual categories. Adults and children performed comparably on categories that could be learned by either a single-dimensional rule or by associative learning mechanisms. However, children showed poorer performance relative to adults in learning categories defined by a disjunctive rule and categories that were nonlinearly separable. Increasing the task demands for adults resulted in child-like performance on the disjunctive categories. Decreasing the task demands for children resulted in more adult-like performance on the disjunctive categories. The authors interpret these results within a multiple-systems approach to category learning and suggest that children have not fully developed the same explicit category learning system as adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Phonemic analysis and synthesis as word attack skills: Revisited.

Used the segmenting task developed by B. Fox and D. K. Routh (see record 1976-08022-001) to select 31 nonsegmenting kindergartners. Ss were randomly assigned to a control (11 Ss), a segmenting-training (10 Ss), or a segmenting- and blending-training (10 Ss) group. Results show that both types of training had an immediate effect in improving segmenting skills. On a subsequent reading analogy task (involving paired-associate learning of letterlike forms and words), the segmenting- and blending-training group approximated the performance of a comparison group of 10 kindergartners who could segment from the outset. The Ss in this training group also learned significantly better than those in the other training group or the control group. These findings and results of previous research support the view that phonemic awareness skills such as segmenting and blending are causally related to learning to read and are not just a by-product of reading instruction. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Lactic acidosis in long-chain fatty acid beta-oxidation disorders

Novel polyamides were developed that can be used as cross-linking agents for proteins such as hemoglobin. Water-soluble, nonimmunogenic polyamides containing oxygen and sulfur atoms in the backbone were prepared by the polycondensation of the diacids bis(carboxymethyloxyacetyl)-1,4-diaminobutane (1a) or 3, 3'-thiodipropionic acid (1b) with diethylene glycol bis(3-aminopropyl) ether (2). The resulting alpha,omega-diacids were converted to the corresponding activated esters using any of a variety of carboxylic acid activating reagents including the novel reagent diphenyl(1-methylimidazol-2-thiyl)phosphonate (9). The resulting polyamides could be activated with a broad spectrum of groups that allow for the cross-linking and surface modification of proteins.     

Chronic electrical stimulation of the facial nerve causes signs of facial nucleus hyperactivity

The proximal segment of the facial nerve in rats was stimulated electrically daily for a duration of 2-10 min. After 4-8 weeks of such stimulation, 12 of 18 rats developed abnormal muscle responses that could be demonstrated by recording the electromyographic response from lower face muscles (the mentalis muscle) while the temporal branch of the facial nerve was being stimulated electrically. This abnormal electromyographic response consists of activity that appears in the latency range 6.5-15 ms. In addition, these chronically stimulated rats developed signs of facial synkinesis on the side that had been chronically stimulated. This could be demonstrated by recording electromyographic activity when the blink reflex was being elicited by electrical stimulation of the ophthalmic nerve. Rats in which electrodes had been implanted but which had not been stimulated did not develop any abnormal electromyographic activity. The abnormal electromyographic activity that could be recorded in rats that had been stimulated chronically could not be recorded 4-8 weeks after the stimulation had been terminated. We interpret these results to indicate that chronic electrical stimulation of the facial nerve can render the facial motonucleus hyperactive, and that the signs of this hyperactivity (abnormal muscle response and synkinesis) are similar to those typically seen in patients with hemifacial spasm. We thus presume that these results support the hypothesis that it is the irritation of the facial nerve from a compressing blood vessel that causes the facial nucleus to become hyperactive in patients with hemifacial spasm.     

The kinetics of competitive antagonists on guinea-pig ileum

Echo-encephalographic examinations were performed in 144 patients after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Ninety-three of the patients received antifibrinolytic treatment (AMCA). The width of the third ventricle could be measured in all the patients, and lateral ventricle measurements were obtained in 94 patients. Third ventricular dilatation developed in 78 patients (54 per cent), and lateral ventricle enlargement was seen in 55 patients (58 per cent of those examined). The incidence of third ventricle dilatation was higher in the AMCA-treated group (62.5 per cent) than in the non-treated group (39.2 per cent), and this difference was statistically significant (P less than 0.05). The hydrocephalus in most cases developed 2-3 weeks after the bleeding, and reached its peak within the first 2-3 months, with subsequent complete or partial normalization of the ventricular size. At later follow-up examinations 1-4 years after the bleeding, only nine patients had persisting dilatation of moderate or pronounced degree. There was no indication that the dilatation was more severe or pronounced degree. There was no indication that the dilatation was more severe or protracted in the AMCA-treated group than in the non-treated group. In 11 patients the hydrocephalus required a shunt-operation, but the frequency of shunt-operations was not significantly different in the two groups. It is concluded that although AMCA-treated patients in comparison with non-treated patients are exposed to a somewhat higher risk of complicating hydrocephalus after subarachnoid hemorrhage, this risk cannot at present be considered as any serious contraindiction to this sort of treatment.     

A prospective study of the risk of tuberculosis among HIV-infected patients

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of developing active tuberculosis (TB) in a cohort of HIV-1-infected patients. METHODS: Prospective longitudinal follow-up of 839 HIV-infected patients, of whom 505 (60%) were parenteral drug users and 269 (32%) homosexual men. Tuberculin skin tests were performed at baseline and annually thereafter. Prophylaxis with isoniazid (300 mg daily for 9 months) was offered to those with a positive tuberculin test (induration > or = 5 mm). Diagnosis of TB was accepted if it could be confirmed microbiologically (acid-fast bacilli seen in Ziehl-Neelsen stains or grown in Lowenstein-Jensen cultures) or pathologically (presence of caseating granulomas) and patients had consistent clinical manifestations. RESULTS: Active TB developed in 23 out of the 733 (3.1%) patients with a negative tuberculin skin test after a mean follow-up of 16 +/- 11 months (range, 2-52 months), with an estimated cumulative probability of 1.5 and 7% after 1 and 3 years, respectively (or 2.4 per 100 patient-years). None of the 87 patients with a negative tuberculin test but a positive Multitest developed TB. Conversely, 106 patients had a positive tuberculin skin test (97 at baseline and nine who converted during follow-up). Active TB developed in seven out of the 26 not receiving prophylaxis or in whom prophylaxis had to be discontinued (16.2 per 100 patient-years), in four out of 61 patients 3-27 months after having completed 9 months of prophylaxis with isoniazid (8.9 per 100 patient-years) and in none of the 19 still receiving isoniazid. When TB was diagnosed, the mean CD4 lymphocyte count of the 34 patients who developed it during follow-up was 77 +/- 103 x 10(6)/l (range, 1-400 x 10(6)/l). CONCLUSIONS: Among HIV-infected patients in whom the tuberculin skin test is negative, the risk of developing active TB is sufficient to consider prophylaxis if the CD4 count falls below 400 x 10(6)/l, at least in those patients with skin anergy living in high-risk geographical areas such as Spain. When the tuberculin skin test was positive, isoniazid (9 months) provided a 45% protection beyond the period of its administration.     

火花放电原子发射光谱多功能光谱夹具的研究与应用

为了解决了目前光谱夹具的单一性问题,研究并开发了多功能光谱夹具,并将其用于火花放电原子发射光谱分析中。多功能光谱夹具是融合了传统的立式和卧式夹具的原理改进而成,通过合理的拆卸设计,完成棒、线、管、片材和球状样品的分析测试。根据卧式光谱夹具的原理,可用于外径或宽度在1.0~10mm之间棒、线、管、片材样品分析;另外该夹具根据立式光谱夹具的原理,将圆球形样品借助不锈钢钢管、弹簧及螺栓完成了向棒材样品转换,通过定位板和V型板的定位,可用于外径在2.5~10mm之间钢球样品的测定。     

Panic disorder in emergency department chest pain patients: prevalence, comorbidity, suicidal ideation, and physician recognition

Rush immunotherapy (RIT) with house dust extract was given to 15 patients with mild extrinsic or mixed asthma. Every patient was strongly positive for IgE on the radioimmunosorbent test and sensitive to house dust extract on the scratch skin test. Nine patients were positive on the bronchial provocation test to house dust extract and 6 could not be examined. All patients did not drop out and got to house dust extract solution 10(-1) within 1 week. The symptom-medication scores decreased significantly after RIT. During RIT 1 patient developed a mild asthmatic attack and 3 patients developed generalized skin reaction. Eight weeks later, the threshold for house dust-provoked bronchoconstriction increased in 9 patients, but did not in 3 patients. The blood eosinophil count and blood histamine level significantly decreased. We conclude that RIT is able to raise antigen concentrations for a short periods and effective but not risky for mild asthma.     

Characteristics of human fetal spinal cord grafts in the adult rat spinal cord: influences of lesion and grafting conditions

The present study evaluated the growth potential and differentiation of human fetal spinal cord (FSC) tissue in the injured adult rat spinal cord under different lesion and grafting conditions. Donor tissue at 6-9 weeks of gestational age was obtained through elective abortions and transplanted either immediately into acute resection (solid grafts) or into chronic contusion (suspension and solid grafts) lesions (i.e., 14-40 days after injury) in the thoracic spinal cord. The xenografts were then examined either histologically in plastic sections or immunocytochemically 1-3 months postgrafting. Intraspinal grafts in acute lesions demonstrated an 83% survival rate and developed as well-circumscribed nodules that were predominantly composed of immature astrocytes. Solid-piece grafts in chronic contusion lesions exhibited a 92% survival rate and also developed as nodular masses. These grafts, however, contained many immature neurons 2 months postgrafting. Suspension grafts in chronic contusion lesions had an 85% survival rate and expanded in a nonrestrictive, diffuse pattern. These transplants demonstrated large neuronally rich areas of neural parenchyma. Extensive neuritic outgrowth could also be seen extending from these grafts into the surrounding host spinal cord. These findings show that human FSC tissue reliably survives and differentiates in both acute and chronic lesions. However, both the lesion environment and the grafting techniques can greatly influence the pattern of differentiation and degree of host-graft integration achieved.     

Interaction of nonachlazine and noradrenaline on a model phospholipid membrane

The binding of nonachlazine (NCL), imipramine (IMP), and noradrenaline (NA) with the model phospholipid membrane vesicles--liposomes--was studied. The binding was determined by the qunching effect of these substances on the fluorescence of 3-methoxybenzantrone (MBA) present in the membrane of the fluorescent probe. A method rendering possible calculation of the binding of the preparations under study with the membrane of the basis of the fluorescence changes was developed. The binding constant of the NCL, IMP, and NA interaction with the membrane was equal to (4.3 +/- 0.3)-10(3)M-1, (2.7 +/- 0.2)-10(3)M-1, and (0.7 +/- 0.15)-10(3)M-1, respectively. It was shown that NCL and IMP could compete with NA for the membrane binding centers. Such competitive interactions could be regarded as a probable mechanism of the block of the reverse NA transport through the synaptic and the vesicular membranes characteristic of NCL and IMP.