Cyclosporin A in patients receiving renal allografts from cadaver donors. 1978

A psychrotrophic yeast, Rhodotorula glutinis KUJ 2731, isolated from soil, effectively produced an extracellular endo-beta-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.4). The enzyme was monomeric, and the molecular mass was about 40,000 Da. The N-terminal amino acid sequence was H-Ser-Leu-Pro- Lys-Leu-Gly-Gly-Val-Asp-Leu-Ala-Gly-Leu-Asp-Ile-Gly-Lys-Asp-Lys-Asn-. alpha-Helix content was calculated to be about 32.6%. The isoelectric point was 8.57. The activation energy was 20.9 kJ/mol, which was much smaller than that of mesophilic enzymes. The enzyme was active at temperatures from 0 to 70 degrees C, with a highest initial velocity at 50 degrees C similar to other psychrotrophic enzymes. The enzyme was inhibited by Hg2+. The enzyme catalyzed hydrolysis of carboxymethyl cellulose with an apparent K(m) of 1.1% and Vmax of 556 mumol/min/mg. Products from the enzymatic hydrolysis of carboxymethyl cellulose by the enzyme were glucose, cellobiose, and cellotriose. The enzyme also catalyzed the transglycosylation of p-nitrophenyl-beta-cellotrioside to cellotetraose.     

Development of an outcomes management program at an academic medical center

Donor CD4+ and CD8+ T cells mediate graft-vs.-leukemia (GVL) responses in the allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (alloBMT) setting. To evaluate the role of functional T cell subsets in the mediation of GVL, alloreactive donor CD4+ (Th1/Th2) and CD8+ (Tc1/Tc2) T cells of defined cytokine phenotype were generated by in vitro culture. A leukemia/transplantation model (B6 into B6C3F1; 1050 cGy host irradiation) was established using the bcr/abl-transfected myeloid leukemia line, 32Dp210 (P210; H-2k). Leukemia control mice (1X10(4) P210 cells per recipient) died at day 12.0 post-BMT. Recipients of the CD4+, Th1-type or CD8+, Tc1-type populations were conferred a survival advantage (death at 20.7 and 23.5 days post-BMT, respectively). In contrast, the CD4+, Th2-type population did not mediate GVL (death at 12.3 days). Furthermore, cell mixing experiments demonstrated that the Th2 subset abrogated both Th1- and Tc1-mediated GVL. The CD8+, Tc2 population, which secreted type II cytokines and lysed the P210 leukemia target in vitro, mediated GVL in some experiments; interestingly, the magnitude of Tc2-mediated GVL was inversely related to the level of interleukin-10 (IL-10) secreted in vitro by the Tc2 population. These studies therefore indicate that alloreactive T cells of type I phenotype maximally generate GVL, and that type I/type II interactions are an important consideration for allogeneic transplantation in the setting of leukemic hosts.     

Highly active antiretroviral therapy results in a decrease in CD8+ T cell activation and preferential reconstitution of the peripheral CD4+ T cell population with memory rather than naive cells

Criteria for detection of chromosome aberrations by Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH) are not standardized and improvement of this part of the analysis is of paramount importance to the applicability of the technique. The aim of this work was to suggest CGH detection criteria that increase the specificity and sensitivity and at the same time include chromosome regions previously excluded from CGH analysis. We analyzed 33 hybridizations with normal DNA and modified our CGH software in order to use a selection of these normal analyses as a model for interpretation of analyses of unknown samples. This approach was successfully tested on 14 samples with known aberrations.     

The VLISP verified PreScheme compiler

This paper describes a verified compiler for PreScheme, the implementation language for thevlisp run-time system. The compiler and proof were divided into three parts: A transformational front end that translates source text into a core language, a syntax-directed compiler that translates the core language into a combinator-based tree-manipulation language, and a linearizer that translates combinator code into code for an abstract stored-program machine with linear memory for both data and code. This factorization enabled different proof techniques to be used for the different phases of the compiler, and also allowed the generation of good code. Finally, the whole process was made possible by carefully defining the semantics ofvlisp PreScheme rather than just adopting Scheme's. We believe that the architecture of the compiler and its correctness proof can easily be applied to compilers for languages other than PreScheme.This work was supported by Rome Laboratory of the United States Air Force, contract No. F19628-89-C-0001, through the MITRE Corporation, and by NSF and DARPA under NSF grants CCR-9002253 and CCR-9014603. Author's current address: Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Oregon Graduate Institute, P.O. Box 91000, Portland, OR 97291-1000.The work reported here was supported by Rome Laboratory of the United States Air Force, contract No. F19628-89-C-0001. Preparation of this paper was generously supported by The MITRE Corporation.This work was supported by Rome Laboratory of the United States Air Force, contract No. F19628-89-C-0001, through the MITRE Corporation, and by NSF and DARPA under NSF grants CCR-9002253 and CCR-9014603.     

Studies of the neutralizing activity and avidity of anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Env antibody elicited by DNA priming and protein boosting

DNA vaccination is an effective means of eliciting strong antibody responses to a number of viral antigens. However, DNA immunization alone has not generated persistent, high-titer antibody and neutralizing antibody responses to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein (Env). We have previously reported that DNA-primed anti-Env antibody responses can be augmented by boosting with Env-expressing recombinant vaccinia viruses. We report here that recombinant Env protein provides a more effective boost of DNA-initiated antibody responses. In rabbits primed with Env-expressing plasmids, protein boosting increased titer, persistence, neutralizing activity, and avidity of anti-Env responses. While titers increased rapidly after boosting, avidity and neutralizing activity matured more slowly over a 6-month period following protein boosting. DNA priming and protein immunization with HIV-1 HXB-2 Env elicited neutralizing antibody for T cell line-adapted, but not primary isolate, viruses. The most effective neutralizing antibody responses were observed after priming with plasmids which expressed noninfectious virus-like particles. In contrast to immunizations with HIV-1 Env, DNA immunizations with the influenza virus hemagglutinin glycoprotein did not require a protein boost to achieve high-titer antibody with good avidity and persistence.     

Using Survey Data and Mathematical Modeling to Prioritize Water Interventions in Developing Countries

Water Resources Management - A traditional cost-benefit analysis of potential water interventions in a given locality is a laborious and time-intensive process. To help decision makers identify...     

Exploitation of a pulsed neutron source for the structural study of anisotropic polymer films

A novel but simple time-of-flight neutron scattering geometry which allows structural anisotropy to be probed directly, simultaneously and thus unambiguously in polymeric and other materials is described. A particular advantage of the simultaneous data collection when coupled to the large area of the beam is that it enables thin films (< 10 m < 10 mg) to be studied with relative ease. The utility of the technique is illustrated by studies on both deformed poly(styrene) glasses and on thin films of electrical conducting polymers. In the latter case, the power of isotopic substitution is illustrated to great effect. The development of these procedures for use in other areas of materials science is briefly discussed.     

Tasting green leaf volatiles by larvae and adults of Colorado potato beetle,Leptinotarsa decemlineata

Larvae and adults of the Colorado potato beetle,Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), are shown to have galeal gustatory cells that are highly sensitive to distillate of potato leaf extracts, (E)-2-hexen-1-ol, (E)-2-hexenal, and other saturated and unsaturated six-carbon alcohols. In larvae and adults, the sensory response patterns elicited by leaf homogenate, leaf distillate and a mixture of these two extracts differ in subtle ways. Beetle larvae feed most readily on Millipore disks treated with leaf homogenate and the mixture, but they did not feed on disks treated with leaf distillate. The differences in behavioral response and sensory input are used to derive a potential gustatory code that may stimulate different levels of feeding. This code may be disrupted by compounds present in nonhost leaves, thus leading to reduced feeding. Possible interactions of sapid leaf volatiles, amino acids, sugars, and potentially deterrent plant compounds are discussed.