Use of electrophoretic karyotyping and DNA-DNA hybridization in yeast identification

The behavioral disturbances of 16 nursing home patients with a history of sundowning behaviour and dementia were treated with light therapy instead of psychopharmacological medication. After the withdrawal of the before established medication a very individual, heterogenous deterioration of the symptoms was noted. A significant improvement of the behaviour was not found by light therapy in any patient. The problems in practical handling and possible consequences of further investigation are discussed.     

Role for a glycan phosphoinositol anchor in Fc gamma receptor synergy

While many cell types express receptors for the Fc domain of IgG (Fc gamma R), only primate polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) express an Fc gamma R linked to the membrane via a glycan phosphoinositol (GPI) anchor. Previous studies have demonstrated that this GPI-linked Fc gamma R (Fc gamma RIIIB) cooperates with the transmembrane Fc gamma R (Fc gamma RIIA) to mediate many of the functional effects of immune complex binding. To determine the role of the GPI anchor in Fc gamma receptor synergy, we have developed a model system in Jurkat T cells, which lack endogenously expressed Fc gamma receptors. Jurkat T cells were stably transfected with cDNA encoding Fc gamma RIIA and/or Fc gamma RIIIB. Cocrosslinking the two receptors produced a synergistic rise in intracytoplasmic calcium ([Ca2+]i) to levels not reached by stimulation of either Fc gamma RIIA or Fc gamma RIIIB alone. Synergy was achieved by prolonged entry of extracellular Ca2+. Cocrosslinking Fc gamma RIIA with CD59 or CD48, two other GPI-linked proteins on Jurkat T cells also led to a synergistic [Ca2+]i rise, as did crosslinking CD59 with Fc gamma RIIA on PMN, suggesting that interactions between the extracellular domains of the two Fc gamma receptors are not required for synergy. Replacement of the GPI anchor of Fc gamma RIIIB with a transmembrane anchor abolished synergy. In addition, tyrosine to phenylalanine substitutions in the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM) of the Fc gamma RIIA cytoplasmic tail abolished synergy. While the ITAM of Fc gamma RIIA was required for the increase in [Ca2+]i, tyrosine phosphorylation of crosslinked Fc gamma RIIA was diminished when cocrosslinked with Fc gamma RIIIB. These data demonstrate that Fc gamma RIIA association with GPI-linked proteins facilitates Fc gamma R signal transduction and suggest that this may be a physiologically significant role for the unusual GPI-anchored Fc gamma R of human PMN.     

Nonparametric bootstrapping of the reliability function for multiple copies of a repairable item modeled by a birth process

Nonparametric bootstrap inference is developed for the reliability function estimated from censored, nonstationary failure time data for multiple copies of repairable items. We assume that each copy has a known, but not necessarily the same, observation period; and upon failure of one copy, design modifications are implemented for all copies operating at that time to prevent further failures arising from the same fault. This implies that, at any point in time, all operating copies will contain the same set of faults. Failures are modeled as a birth process because there is a reduction in the rate of occurrence at each failure. The data structure comprises a mix of deterministic & random censoring mechanisms corresponding to the known observation period of the copy, and the random censoring time of each fault. Hence, bootstrap confidence intervals & regions for the reliability function measure the length of time a fault can remain within the item until realization as failure in one of the copies. Explicit formulae derived for the re-sampling probabilities greatly reduce dependency on Monte-Carlo simulation. Investigations show a small bias arising in re-sampling that can be quantified & corrected. The variability generated by the re-sampling approach approximates the variability in the underlying birth process, and so supports appropriate inference. An illustrative example describes application to a problem, and discusses the validity of modeling assumptions within industrial practice.     

Risk factors for noncompliance with glaucoma follow-up visits in a residents' eye clinic

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify factors associated with compliance with glaucoma follow-up visits. DESIGN: Computer records of a university residents' eye clinic were reviewed to identify a random sample of all persons who had an examination with International Classification of Disease (ICD) 9 coding (ICD9) for glaucoma suspect or glaucoma during a 2-year period (1991-1993) to undergo telephone interview. PARTICIPANTS: Those who were seen at least every 6 months regardless of earlier return instructions were defined as compliant with follow-up (controls, n = 362). Those who had any lapse between visits of longer than 6 months were defined as noncompliant (cases, n = 362). RESULTS: Interviews were completed for 196 cases and 242 controls. Noncompliant persons were significantly more likely to be suspects for glaucoma rather than to have definite glaucoma and to be dissatisfied with waiting time in the clinic (29.1% vs. 17.8%, P < 0.005) and to state that they did not take their glaucoma medications as prescribed (25.4% vs. 13.4%, P < 0.004). They also were less likely to have been prescribed eyedrop medication. A high percentage of both patients and controls knew that glaucoma can lead to blindness (85.2% and 88.4%, respectively). The most common reasons patients gave for not keeping follow-up visits were the perception that their eye problem was "not serious enough," the cost of examinations, and that the doctor did not tell them to come back. CONCLUSION: Compliance with follow-up visits for glaucoma is associated with markers for early disease. Attempts to improve compliance might focus on improved communication of the seriousness of the disease and improvements in clinic waiting time.