Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate: a biomarker of primate aging slowed by calorie restriction

The adrenal steroids, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEAS), have attracted attention for their possible antiaging effects. DHEAS levels in humans decline markedly with age, suggesting the potential importance of this parameter as a biomarker of aging. Here we report that, as seen in humans, male and female rhesus monkeys exhibit a steady, age-related decline in serum DHEAS. This decline meets several criteria for a biomarker of aging, including cross-sectional and longitudinal linear decreases with age and significant stability of individual differences over time. In addition, the proportional age-related loss of DHEAS in rhesus monkeys is over twice the rate of decline observed in humans. Most important is the finding that, in rhesus monkeys, calorie restriction, which extends life span and retards aging in laboratory rodents, slows the postmaturational decline in serum DHEAS levels. This represents the first evidence that this nutritional intervention has the potential to alter aspects of postmaturational aging in a long-lived species.     

The role of helplessness in the recovery process for sexual trauma survivors.

Discusses the important role of helplessness in the cognitive-affective process of recovery from sexual trauma, the need to view the full emotional and interpersonal life of the traumatized individual, and the substantial ways in which sexual trauma impacts self-structure. Working through helplessness allows the victim to experience rage and fear, to let go of guilt and shame, to face and grieve loss, and to incorporate the experience into more adaptive schemata of self, others, and the world. The discussion is illustrated by case studies of 2 women from a study of the process of recovery in incest survivors undergoing trauma-focused group psychotherapy. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Giant coronary artery pseudoaneurysm causing pulmonary artery obstruction: a rare complication of coronary bypass surgery--a case report

The authors report the diagnosis and successful management of a 57-year-old man with right ventricular outflow tract obstruction from a large pseudoaneurysm of the left anterior descending coronary artery 5 years after he had undergone redo coronary artery bypass grafting.     

A rare case of an antenatally diagnosed tumor of the neck--a hamartoma of the thyroid gland

A case of connatal hamartoma of the left thyroid lobe is reported. During routine prenatal ultrasonographic examination, a tumor of the neck was diagnosed. The baby was born at 30 weeks' gestation, and the tumor (measuring 7.0 x 5.5 x 4.2 cm) was extirpated. Histologically, the tumor was a hamartoma of the thyroid gland. Follow-up evaluation (3 and 6 months after resection) showed that the child was doing well and had no signs of hypothyroidism or hypoparathyroidism. The case is discussed with respect to antenatal diagnosis, postpartum diagnostic measures, management, and surgical therapy.     

High-efficiency and wide-bandwidth performance obtainable from atwo-input buck converter

A study of the two-input post-regulators is carried out in this paper. In these post-regulators, only a part of the total power undergoes a switching conversion process, whereas the remainder of the power comes up to the load directly, with no power conversion process. Due to this fact, very high efficiency is achieved. Moreover, the stress in the semiconductors and the filter size are both much lower than in standard post-regulators. Two-input post-regulators require two-output main converters. However, many converter topologies can be easily adapted to supply two-output voltages with no efficiency penalty. Two-input postregulators can be used in many power converters. Multiple-output DC-to-DC converters and AC-to-DC power factor correctors are two good examples     

Robot calibration using the CPC error model

The complete and parametrically continuous (CPC) robot kinematic modeling convention has no model singularities and allows the modeling of the robot base and tool in the same manner by which the internal links are modeled. These two properties can be utilized to construct robot kinematic error models employing the minimum number of kinematic error parameters. These error parameters are independent and span the entire geometric error space. The BASE and TOOL error models are derived as special cases of the regular CPC error model. The CPC error model is useful for both kinematic identification and kinematic compensation. This paper focuses on the derivation of the CPC error models and their use in the experimental implementation of robot calibration.     

Renal failure associated with unrecognized hyperoncotic states after pediatric heart surgery

We present the first documented case of photic-induced epileptic negative myoclonus. A 17-year-old girl had experienced two generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) while watching television. The only EEG abnormality was a photoparoxysmal response (PPR), which was sometimes accompanied by loss of postural tone in both arms. Valproate was effective in abolishing photosensitivity. Negative myoclonus should be included among the ictal phenomena accompanying PPR.     

Human placental cytotrophoblasts produce the immunosuppressive cytokine interleukin 10

The mechanism by which the mammalian mother accepts the implanting fetus as an allograft remains unexplained, but is likely to be the result of a combination of factors. Mononuclear cytotrophoblasts, the specialized fetal cells of the placenta that invade the uterus, play an important role. These cells express HLA-G, an unusual major histocompatibility complex class I-B molecule, and secrete cytokines and pregnancy-specific proteins that can regulate immune function. We investigated whether cytotrophoblasts secrete interleukin 10 (IL-10), a cytokine that potently inhibits alloresponses in mixed lymphocyte reactions. Cytotrophoblasts from all stages of pregnancy produced IL-10 in vitro, but neither placental fibroblasts nor choriocarcinoma (malignant trophoblast) cell lines did so. Spontaneous IL-10 production averaged 650, 853, and 992 pg/10(6) cells in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy, respectively. IL-10 secretion dropped approximately 10-fold after the first 24 h of culture, and was paralleled by a decrease in messenger RNA. IL-10 messenger RNA was detected in biopsies of the placenta and the portion of the uterus that contains invasive cytotrophoblasts, suggesting that this cytokine is also produced in vivo. IL-10 secreted by cytotrophoblasts in vitro is bioactive, as determined by its ability to suppress interferon gamma production in an allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction. We conclude that human cytotrophoblast IL-10 may be an important factor that contributes to maternal tolerance of the allogeneic fetus.     

A meta-analytic review of predictors of job performance for salespeople.

This meta-analysis evaluated predictors of both objective and subjective sales performance. Biodata measures and sales ability inventories were good predictors of the ratings criterion, with corrected rs of .52 and .45, respectively. Potency (a subdimension of the Big 5 personality dimension Extraversion) predicted supervisor ratings of performance (r?=?.28) and objective measures of sales (r?=?.26). Achievement (a component of the Conscientiousness dimension) predicted ratings (r?=?.25) and objective sales (r?=?.41). General cognitive ability showed a correlation of .40 with ratings but only .04 with objective sales. Similarly, age predicted ratings (r?=?.26) but not objective sales (r?=?-.06). On the basis of a small number of studies, interest appears to be a promising predictor of sales success. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)