On the recollection of specific- and partial-source information

Memory judgments can be based on information that is more or less specific with respect to the source of an item. The authors introduce a procedure and multinomial model for measuring specific- and partial-source information. In 2 experiments, participants heard words spoken by 4 different voices: 2 male voices and 2 female voices. During the test, participants were required to remember who spoke the test items (e.g., Male 1, Male 2, Female 1, Female 2, or new word). Participants often remembered information about the gender of the source (i.e., partial-source information) when they did not remember information that identified the source itself (i.e., specific-source information). Dividing attention during retrieval impaired participants' memory for specific-source information (i.e., voice information) but did not affect memory for partial-source information (i.e., gender information).     

Cell biology and possible therapeutic applications of anti-CD3-activated killer-T cells (review)

Polyclonal T lymphocyte populations can be stimulated with anti-CD3 antibody to proliferate, secrete cytokines, and mediate MHC-unrestricted cytotoxic activity against a wide range of tumor target cells. Because anti-CD3-activated killer-T (AK-T) cells may be useful in the immunotherapy of human cancers, it is important to understand the signaling pathways and cell-surface structures involved in the induction and tumoricidal effector function of AK-T cells. Studies in the mouse model system have characterized the cytokines, signal transduction pathways, and costimulatory molecules involved in AK-T cell development. The recognition/adhesion and subsequent signaling events which lead to tumoricidal activity by mouse AK-T cells have also been defined. These findings, providing they translate accurately to the human system, may allow for the design of effective strategies to use AK-T cells for the treatment of human cancers. However, to date, the encouraging results obtained with anti-CD3 antibody/AK-T cell-based immunotherapies in mouse models of cancer have not been duplicated in clinical trials. The most likely explanation for this dis-appointing result is that tumor-reactive T lymphocytes in long term tumor-bearers fail to function correctly in the tumor microenvironment due to tumor-induced immune suppression and defects in key signal transduction molecules. It is clear that a detailed understanding of the inhibitory effect of established tumors on host T cells and the means to overcome tumor-induced immunosuppression are needed before anti-CD3 antibody/AK-T cell-based immunotherapies can be expected to succeed in the clinical setting.     

Confirmation that Thiobacillus halophilus and Thiobacillus hydrothermalis are distinct species within the gamma-subclass of the Proteobacteria

BACKGROUND: There is controversy regarding the most appropriate investigation for suspected colorectal carcinoma. We offered these patients same-day flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) and double-contrast barium enema (DCBE). METHODS: We reviewed the results of 117 consecutive adult patients. All patients underwent FS followed by DCBE on the same day. The radiographs were reviewed by two of the authors who were blinded to the clinical information, flexible sigmoidoscopy reports, and the original DCBE report. RESULTS: One hundred seventeen patients made up the study population. Thirty-four of the 117 patients had polyps and/or carcinoma. Three malignant tumours were detected by DCBE; one of these was also seen on FS, and the other two cancers were out of FS range. Fifty-three polyps were found by FS; nine were removed by biopsy prior to the enema examination. Of the 44 remaining polyps, DCBE failed to detect 87% of the 0-9-mm group and 67% of the >9-mm group. Ten polyps were seen only on DCBE; seven of these 10 were beyond the range of the sigmoidoscope, and the three remaining polyps were less than 5 mm. CONCLUSION: DCBE is insensitive in the detection of rectosigmoid polyps. FS should continue to be used as a complementary examination to DCBE in the investigation of suspected colorectal carcinoma.     

Biological impact of small air ions

The thrust of the experimental data presented here is that small air ions are biologically active. There is convincing evidence that both negative and positive ions (i) inhibit growth of bacteria and fungi on solid media; (ii) exert a lethal effect on vegetative forms of bacteria suspended in water when opportunity is provided for contact of cells and ions; and (iii) reduce the viable count of bacterial aerosols. Through physical action, ions of either charge upset the stability of aerolosized bacterial suspensions and, in addition, have a direct lethal effect which is more prominent with negative ions than with positive ions. With regard to the serotonin hypothesis of air ions action, the situation is more complex. The essential fact is that mice and rats display a charge-related metabolic response to air ions and this phenomenon also occurs in humans. Because serotonin is such a potent hormone, the ultimate functional changes incident to air ion action are impressive and account for the signs of symptoms of the sharav syndrome. Alterations in the cumulative mortality rate with three experimental respiratory disease in the mouse also are charge-dependent, positive ions routinely exercising a detrimental effect. Further, in the case of mice infected with influenza virus, ion-deprivation increases the cumulative mortality rate. Since ion depletion is a constant concomitant of modern urban life, one reasonably may speculate about comparable inimical effects on humans.     

Stir zone microstructure and strain rate during Al 7075-T6 friction stir spot welding

The factors determining the temperature, heating rate, microstructure, and strain rate in Al 7075-T6 friction stir spot welds are investigated. Stir zone microstructure was examined using a combination of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) microscopy, while the strain rate during spot welding was calculated by incorporating measured temperatures and the average subgrain dimensions in the Zener-Hollomon relation. The highest temperature during friction stir spot welding (527 °C) was observed in spot welds made using a tool rotational speed of 3000 rpm. The stir zone regions comprised fine-grained, equiaxed, fully recrystallized microstructures. The calculated strain rate in Al 7075-T6 spot welds decreased from 650 to about 20 s⁻¹ when the tool rotational speed increased from 1000 to 3000 rpm. It is suggested that the decrease in strain rate results when tool slippage occurs when the welding parameter settings facilitate transient local melting during the spot welding operation. Transient local melting and tool slippage are produced when the welding parameters produce sufficiently high heating rates and temperatures during spot welding. However, transient local melting and tool slippage is not produced in Al 7075-T6 spot welds made using a rotational speed of 1000 rpm since the peak temperature is always less than 475 °C.     

Molecular genetic investigations of autism

Genetic factors are likely to play a major role in the etiology of autism. The genetics of the disorder is however complex, probably involving the action of several genes. In an attempt to identify autism susceptibility loci we are currently undertaking a systematic screening of the whole human genome using multiplex families. We describe the resources and the methods needed to achieve such a task, including extensive collection of family data, semiautomated genotyping technology, and specialized statistical approaches for linkage analysis of complex traits.     

A consensus model for molecular packing of type I collagen

In this review, recent results from X-ray diffraction studies of tendon are used to develop an understanding of the molecular packing of type I collagen in tendon fibrils. These cover the definition of the unit cell as triclinic, the lateral architecture of molecular packing in a fibril and the molecular packing topology of a structure that gives good agreement with X-ray diffraction data. The proposed model is a 1D staggered left handed microfibril; the molecular orientation of the telopeptides indicates that there are interconnections between microfibrils that may explain the difficulty in isolating individual microfibrillar structures. This is the first structure that defines the absolute molecular packing of molecular segments based on X-ray diffraction data. These results are discussed in the light of direct and indirect evidence relating to molecular packing such as mineralization, natural crosslink position, and biomechanical evidence. The ability of the proposed structure to fulfill many of the structural and biochemical criteria point towards the structure providing a basis for a consensus model of collagen packing.