Gut-derived intraepithelial lymphocytes induce long term immunity against Toxoplasma gondii

Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) of the intestine represent an important barrier in the prevention of infection against orally acquired pathogens. Adoptive transfer of Ag-primed IEL into a naive host can protect against challenge. Using a murine model, we demonstrate in two genetically distinct mouse strains (C57BL/6 and CBA/J) that protective IEL can be isolated at specific times after oral infection with cysts containing bradyzoites. Adoptive transfer of IEL obtained from the intestine of infected mice at these specific times can provide long term protection, as determined by mortality and cyst number against challenge. The protective IEL appear to be CD8+, TCR-alpha/beta and are at least partially dependent upon the presence of TCR-gamma/delta T cells in the host. Endogenous production of the pivotal cytokine, IFN-gamma, is essential for host immunity. These findings demonstrate that gut-derived IEL represent a potentially important mechanism to provide long term immunity to the host.     

Study of immunization promotion against influenza in nursing homes and long term care facilities in Quebec

This study measured the rate of influenza immunization in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, and evaluated the effectiveness of a promotion program in reaching the national objective of 95% coverage. At the end of 1993, data were provided by 55 of the 79 nursing homes in the region of Montérégie, Quebec. The mean reported immunization rate was 78%, minimum 19% and maximum 100%. In 70% of cases, non-vaccination was due to patient refusal. In 1994, an intervention was carried out in a random sample of 28 nursing homes. Directors, chiefs of nursing and consulting physicians were informed of the coverage achieved in their institution in relation to the national objective. In addition, presentations were given to the nursing personnel and residents. These presentations were made by post-graduate medical students in 22 of the 28 nursing homes in the experimental group. No increase in the mean immunization rate was observed, indicating that it will be more difficult than expected to reach the desired level of coverage.     

Prostate carcinoma and long term survival

BACKGROUND: The long term survival of patients with prostate carcinoma is not well understood. The objective of the current study was to investigate the temporal trend of prostate carcinoma mortality in patients who survived > or = 10 years after diagnosis. METHODS: Men with prostate carcinoma diagnosed from 1958 through 1983 in the Stockholm/Gotland region in Sweden and who survived > or = 10 years after the diagnosis were investigated regarding survival beyond 10 years. The expected survival was calculated from an annually selected age and time-matched cohort of men from the general population in the same geographic region. The relative survival was expressed as the annual quotient of the observed survival over the expected survival. RESULTS: The authors identified 1896 patients who had survived > or = 10 years. The relative survival decreased up to approximately 18 years after the diagnosis, whereupon it reached a plateau that was constant up to 30 years after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Men with prostate carcinoma surviving > or = 10 years have an excess mortality compared with age-matched controls. This excess mortality ceases 20 to 23 years after diagnosis and the observed and the expected survival are similar, indicating few, if any, deaths from prostate carcinoma from there on.     

Ketoconazole shampoo: effect of long-term use in androgenic alopecia

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of androgenic alopecia is not fully understood. A microbial-driven inflammatory reaction abutting on the hair follicles might participate in the hair status anomaly. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to determine if ketoconazole (KCZ) which is active against the scalp microflora and shows some intrinsic anti-inflammatory activity might improve alopecia. METHOD: The effect of 2% KCZ shampoo was compared to that of an unmedicated shampoo used in combination with or without 2% minoxidil therapy. RESULTS: Hair density and size and proportion of anagen follicles were improved almost similarly by both KCZ and minoxidil regimens. The sebum casual level appeared to be decreased by KCZ. CONCLUSION: Comparative data suggest that there may be a significant action of KCZ upon the course of androgenic alopecia and that Malassezia spp. may play a role in the inflammatory reaction. The clinical significance of the results awaits further controlled study in a larger group of subjects.     

Arguments against a "School for mental health."

Presents a criticism of A. S. Mariner's (see record 1967-08073-001) recommended standard curriculum for psychiatrists and psychologists. J. Bjornson sees the arguments presented as demonstrating "the patient subtly defeating himself to change the system." Bjornson argues for greater rather than less diversity in training in the behavioral sciences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Language therapy effects in long term aphasia

This report describes the results of language therapy initiated 1 to 6 years after the onset of aphasia in 14 patients. During the course of treatment, each of the 14 patients improved strongly in their communicative abilities (PICA), according to clinical observation and reports from family, hospital ward personnel, or both.     

Distributed memory for both short and long term

The present study examined the behavioral effects of dopamine receptor agonists, antagonists, or N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonist in rats with a unilateral excitotoxic lesion of the globus pallidus (GP). After the unilateral GP lesions were made by injections of the ibotenic acid, drugs were systemically given and the elicited behaviors were quantitatively assessed. Systemic administration of haloperidol, but not SCH23390, dose-dependently induced contraversive dystonic posturing in unilateral GP-lesioned rats. On the other hand, systemic administration of quinpirole, but not SKF38393, induced ipsiversive circling. MK-801, only when given at a high dose, unilateral GP-lesioned rat, the D2 receptor agonist and antagonist caused ipsiversive and contraversive posturing or circling, respectively. Since the rotational behavior is induced on the basis of asymmetry of the basal ganglia output activity, there must be a marked difference between the GP ablation and the administration of D2 receptor blockade on the basal ganglia output activity, supporting a speculation that overactivity of the basal ganglia under dopamine depletion is not solely a result of the disinhibition from the inhibitory GP efferents. The present unilateral GP-lesion model appears to be a useful one for the pharmacobehavioral investigation of D2-mediated mechanisms.     

Intravenous long term infusions of the rat without anesthesia

The lumbar-spine radiographs of 67 patients with idiopathic chondrocalcinosis articularis were reviewed for disc calcification and other changes. Calcification was present in 21 (31%) of the patients, seen most frequently at the L 2-3 disc space. The 21 patients as a group were significantly older than the 46 patients without disc calcification, and also had a much higher incidence of chondrocalcinosis in peripheral joints. There was no association with back pain or spinal stiffness. The 21 patients with disc calcification included six patients with a destructive peripheral arthropathy, and three of them had destructive changes affecting the lumbar spine. Three patients with a destructive peripheral arthropathy were also included in the group without disc calcification, and one of these had a destructive arthritis of the lumbar spine. For comparison, there was a 55% incidence of spinal chondrocalcinosis in nine patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and peripheral joint chondrocalcinosis, and a 6% incidence in 100 anteroposterior lumbar spine radiograph 'controls', taken before intravenous urography, although in this latter group the changes were minimal and confined to the margin of a single disc in each case.     

Arguments against the involvement of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Alzheimer''s disease

The posterior prostatomembranous urethral stricture or distraction defect has historically been the most formidable challenge of stricture surgery. This uncommon lesion occurs most often as the sequelae of pelvic fracture injuries, or straddle trauma, and is associated with serious urethral disruption and separation--an injury that is often complicated by inappropriate initial management using substitution skin flap techniques with the development of recurrent stenosis, irreversible impotence, and occasional incontinence. Management by endoscopic techniques may be possible in patients with short strictures or in those after prostatectomy, but they rarely play a role in resolving the complex obliterated urethra with a significant defect [1]. Resolution of post-traumatic posterior urethral distraction defects and other posterior urethral pathologic conditions has dramatically improved over the past two decades despite an inaccessible subpublic location involving exposed sphincter-active and erectile neurovascular anatomy. The contemporary, perineal, one-stage bulboprostatic anastomotic operation as popularized by Turner-Warwick [20] with selective scar excision is a versatile procedure with a high patent lumen success. Patients undergoing anastomotic urethroplasty have a substained patent urethral lumen success rate approaching 100% versus those who have undergone urethral skin flap or patch repair, where the restricture rate in 5 and 10 years increases twofold to threefold [1, 20]. A patent urethra after an anastomotic urethroplasty at 6 months is free from further recurrent stricture and gives credence to Mr. Turner-Warwick's admonition that "urethra is the best substitute for urethra".     

拓展企业质量管理创造培育长销产品

阐述了企业在市场竞争中,必须拓展质量管理,不但要对内部现场进行质量管理,而且还要对外部市场进行质量管理,作到产品设计,创造消费;市场开发,培育消费;品牌塑造,满足消费;市场管理,围绕消费,这样才能创造、培育企业的长销产品,增加经济效益.     

Review of Alas poor Darwin: Arguments against evolutionary psychology.

Reviews the book, Alas poor Darwin: Arguments against evolutionary psychology by Hilary Rose and Steven Rose (2000). Recent years have seen a veritable explosion of books (both professional and popular) and articles trumpeting the ability of genetics and evolutionary psychology to explain human behavior. However, as the contributions in this provocative volume clearly attest, many biologists, social scientists, and philosophers have begun to rebel against this explanatory trend. Despite the wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds and interests reflected in this volume, a common and clear perspective emerges that not only challenges the reductionism of evolutionary psychology but also offers a deeper and more engaging understanding of the biosocial nature of human existence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neural correlates of spatial term use.

The current research used event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to assess the processes underlying online apprehension of the spatial term above. Constituent steps defined within G. D. Logan and D. D. Sadler's (1996) computational theory of apprehension were associated with distinct modulations of ERPs. Specifically, finding the relevant objects was associated with an amplitude modulation of P3; competition in assigning directions to space was associated with modulation of a frontal slow wave; and computing and comparing the spatial relation was associated with modulation of a parietal slow wave. These modulations were differentially influenced by the type of reference frame used to define the spatial term and by the participant's response. The current study supports this decompositional approach to apprehension and provides a means of assessing each step independently. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Auditory system plasticity in children after long periods of complete deafness

Separation and identification of proteins by two-dimensional (2-D) electrophoresis can be used for protein-based gene expression analysis. In this report single protein spots, from polyvinylidene difluoride blots of micropreparative E. coli 2-D gels, were rapidly and economically identified by matching their amino acid composition, estimated pI and molecular weight against all E. coli entries in the SWISS-PROT database. Thirty proteins from an E. coli 2-D map were analyzed and identities assigned. Three of the proteins were unknown. By protein sequencing analysis, 20 of the 27 proteins were correctly identified. Importantly, correct identifications showed unambiguous "correct" score patterns. While incorrect protein identifications also showed distinctive score patterns, indicating that protein must be identified by other means. These techniques allow large-scale screening of the protein complement of simple organisms, or tissues in normal and disease states. The computer program described here is accessible via the World Wide Web at URL address (http:@expasy.hcuge.ch/).