Understanding readiness for regular physical activity in older individuals: An application of the theory of planned behavior.

This study examined whether stage of readiness for regular physical activity (i.e., discrete phases from inactive to active) was related to beliefs concerning perceived social pressure, attitude, perceived control, and intention. Data were collected from 288 older people through the mail. Frequency data indicated that over 50% of the sample had been engaging in regular physical activity for longer than 6 months. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results showed that all selected variables shared significant variance with stage of readiness, and discrimination among the stages by the selected variables was successful. Path analysis indicated that intention, attitude, and perceived control had direct relationships with stage of readiness. Discussion focused on the utility of these variables for understanding individual differences in stage of readiness for regular physical activity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maturation of Peyer's patch dendritic cells in vitro upon stimulation via cytokines or CD40 triggering

In mouse Peyer's patches (PP), dendritic cells (DC) are localized in T cell areas as NLDC145+ CD11c+ cells, and in the dome and corona region of the follicle as NLDC145- CD11c+ cells, respectively, suggesting the presence of two different DC populations with distinct roles in antigen uptake, processing, and presentation. However, it is not clear how this relates to DC maturation. In this report, we demonstrate that freshly-isolated CD11c+ DC have the properties of immature DC since they endocytose soluble antigens, phagocytose particulate material such as latex beads, synthetize major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II and invariant chain, but, at the same time, display low stimulatory activity for resting T cells, as shown in mixed-lymphocyte reaction and oxidative mitogenesis assays. When cultured for 24 h in the presence of the cytokines granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and tumor necrosis factor or anti-CD40, the cells undergo dramatic phenotypic and functional changes characteristic of DC maturation. After 24 h stimulation in vitro, CD11c+ cells lose the ability to take up proteins such as ovalbumin, and in parallel with this decline, the biosynthesis of MHC class II and invariant chain is dramatically down-regulated or eliminated. On the other hand cells treated in vitro exhibit on the cell surface higher levels of MHC class II, of co-stimulatory molecules (CD80, CD86), of adhesion molecules (CD44, intercellular adhesion molecule-1), and acquire expression of the interdigitating DC surface marker NLDC145. Concomitantly, the ability to stimulate naive T cells drastically increased after in vitro treatment with both stimuli. Taken together, our results indicate that the majority of DC in the PP are immature in terms of their antigen-uptake capacity. These sentinel antigen presenting cells are strategically positioned at the dome region of PP, where antigens are transcytosed via the M cells from the gut lumen. A second population of mature interdigitating NLDC145+ CD11c+ DC stimulates naive unprimed T cells in interfollicular areas by up-regulation of surface ligands and accessory signals.     

Co-localization of serotonin and FMRFamide-like immunoreactivities in the central nervous system of the earthworm, Eisenia fetida

In addition to receptor-type pinealocytes, the mammalian pineal organ contains small and large neurons and ependymal/glial cells as well. Axons of pinealocytes form synaptic ribbon-containing axo-dendritic synapses on large secondary pineal neurons and/or terminate as neurohormonal endings on the basal lamina of the vascular surface of the organ. The small pineal neurons were found to be gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-immunoreactive, while large secondary neurons and pinealocytes contained immunoreactive amino acids (glutamate and aspartate). Glutamate accumulated presynaptically in pinealocytic axon terminals on large secondary neurons and in the axons of these neurons. Glutamate immunoreactive axons of pineal neurons were traced via the pineal tract to the habenular nucleus. Axons containing granular vesicles and coming from extrapineal perikarya are glutamate immunoreactive as well. Aspartate and GABA are also present in some of the myelinated axons, supposedly pinealopetal in the pineal tract.     

Prognostic significance of color Doppler findings in head and neck tumors

This summary of the practice parameters describes the assessment, differential diagnosis, and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults who present with symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The rationales for specific recommendations are based on a review of the scientific literature and clinical consensus which is contained in the complete document. Assessment includes clinical interviews with the child and parents and standardized rating scales from parent and teachers. Testing of intelligence and academic achievement is usually required. Comorbidity is common. The cornerstones of treatment are support and education of parents, appropriate school placement, and psychopharmacology. The primary medications are psychostimulants, but antidepressants and alpha-adrenergic agonists are used in special circumstances. Other treatments such as behavior modification, school consultation, family therapy, and group therapy address remaining symptoms.     

Carving-out mental health benefits to Medicaid beneficiaries: a shift toward managed care

Several states have designed and implemented innovative programs for Medicaid beneficiaries that carve-out the provision of mental health from general health care. This paper describes several such programs and outlines the choices states face in designing these services. Major decisions include the selection of a public or private agency, how that agency is chosen, reimbursement schemes, eligibility criteria, and benefits to be covered. While carve-out programs have yielded initial savings, more research is needed on their effect on quality of care and general health care costs.     

T cells of the human intestinal lamina propria are high producers of interleukin-10

BACKGROUND: The transmission of hepatitis A virus (HAV) has been associated with the use of a number of solvent/detergent-treated factor VIII concentrates and possibly a factor IX concentrate. These reports have emphasized the necessity of using virus-inactivation methods for plasma products that are capable of inactivating nonenveloped viruses such as HAV. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A simple, highly accurate titration procedure for HAV, which allows extensive kinetic investigations of virus-inactivation procedures, has been developed. This system has now been used to evaluate the efficacy of vapor heating in inactivating HAV after the addition of the virus to a range of human plasma products. RESULTS: It was demonstrated that HAV was significantly more thermostable than other picornaviruses, which reinforced the fact that such viruses cannot be used as model viruses for HAV-inactivation studies. A one-step vapor-heating procedure was demonstrated to inactivate between 5.9 and > 6.3 log10 of HAV in different products. A two-step vapor-heating procedure had the capacity to inactivate between > 8.7 and > 10.4 log10 of HAV. Both procedures were more effective in inactivating HAV than was the pasteurization procedure used for virus inactivation in human albumin solutions. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate the efficacy of vapor heating in inactivating high-titer HAV after the spiking of plasma products with virus. This study confirms and explains the results of controlled clinical trials and long-term clinical usage with respect to the lack of HAV transmission by such vapor-heated products.