Chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis: effects of insulin-like growth factor-I treatment on clinical deficits, lesion severity, glial responses, and blood brain barrier defects

Chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (crEAE), a model for multiple sclerosis, was used to test 2 regimens of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) treatment. We induced crEAE by injecting 3x10(7) myelin basic protein-(MBP) sensitized lymph node cells into adult female SJL/J mice. Fifty-one mice, divided randomly into 4 groups, were used in the first trial. Two groups received IGF-I (a gift of Cephalon, Inc.) 0.6 mg/kg/d subcutaneously from day 7 to day 16 and the other two groups received placebo injections. IGF-I treatment reduced clinical deficits during the first attack and during 2 subsequent relapses. Image analysis of immunostained and histological sections showed that IGF-I treatment reduced BBB defects and both the numbers and sizes of inflammatory, demyelinating, and demyelinated lesions. Twelve mice that had recovered from their first attack were used in our second trial to evaluate possible adverse effects of prolonged treatment with a higher dose of IGF-I. Six received 1.2 mg/kg/d for 6 weeks (days 19-63). No adverse effects of IGF-I treatment were identified. The eyes, hearts, livers, and kidneys of IGF-I-treated mice were normal histologically and their spleens also appeared normal except for mild to moderate microscopic increases in lymphopoesis. Our results suggest that prolonged IGF-I treatment is well tolerated and that the anti-inflammatory effects of IGF-I have a major role in reducing clinical deficits and lesion severity in crEAE. These effects, if present in multiple sclerosis, may benefit patients with this disease.     

Genotyping of KEL1 and KEL2 of the human Kell blood group system by the polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers

BACKGROUND: Kell is a major antigenic system in human red cells, with more than 20 identified antigens. KEL1 and KEL2 are two opposing low- and high-frequency alleles. Immunization to KEL1 is clinically significant, because anti-KEL1 can cause severe reactions to transfusion of incompatible blood, as well as hemolytic disease of the newborn. At the nucleotide level, the difference between the KEL2 and KEL1 alleles is a single-base change within exon 6 that results in the substitution of methionine (ATG) for threonine (ACG) at position 193. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: An assay using polymerase chain reaction and sequence-specific primers to genotype for the KEL1 and KEL2 alleles has been developed. It uses two allele-specific forward primers for either KEL1 or KEL2 and a single reverse-consensus primer. RESULTS: A validation study of 42 serologically typed samples (5 KEL:1,-2 [K+k-]; 23 KEL:1,2 [K+k+]; and 14 KEL:-1,2 [K-k+]) was performed. A concordance rate of 100 percent (42/42 samples) was observed between polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers and serologic typing. CONCLUSION: This rapid, nonradioactive, Kell system genotyping assay does not require the additional steps of probe hybridization or restriction enzyme digestion. This application of polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers should prove particularly useful in Kell system genotyping of amniotic cells to identify pregnancies at risk for hemolytic disease of the newborn.     

Association of human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) with multiple sclerosis: increased IgM response to HHV-6 early antigen and detection of serum HHV-6 DNA

Viruses have long been suggested to be involved in the etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS). This suggestion is based on (1) epidemiological evidence of childhood exposure to infectious agents and increase in disease exacerbations with viral infection; (2) geographic association of disease susceptibility with evidence of MS clustering; (3) evidence that migration to and from high-risk areas influences the likelihood of developing MS; (4) abnormal immune responses to a variety of viruses; and (5) analogy with animal models and other human diseases in which viruses can cause diseases with long incubation periods, a relapsing-remitting course, and demyelination. Many of these studies involve the demonstration of increased antibody titers to a particular virus, whereas some describe isolation of virus from MS material. However, no virus to date has been definitively associated with this disease. Recently, human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), a newly described beta-herpes virus that shares homology with cytomegalovirus (CMV), has been reported to be present in active MS plaques. In order to extend these observations, we have demonstrated increased IgM serum antibody responses to HHV-6 early antigen (p41/38) in patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), compared with patients with chronic progressive MS (CPMS), patients with other neurologic disease (OND), patients with other autoimmune disease (OID), and normal controls. Given the ubiquitous nature of this virus and the challenging precedent of correlating antiviral antibodies with disease association, these antibody studies have been supported by the detection of HHV-6 DNA from samples of MS serum as a marker of active viral infection.     

Modeling multimode-input star couplers in polymers

In this paper, we present the first numerical study of highly multimode-input integrated-optic star couplers. Although the design utilizes the physical quantities appropriate for a polymer device, many of the results are applicable to multimode-input star couplers using a wide range of materials. Design parameters explored include the input-port waveguide width, refractive index difference, and insertion angle. The simulation work is done utilizing the beam propagation method. The statistically based scaling parameters for these highly multimode structures are shown to be compatible with the results of an analytical model which is suitable for initial device design     

Interactions of task challenge and intrinsic and extrinsic motivations in college achievement.

Examined effects of 3 levels each of personal intrinsic and extrinsic motivational dispositions on grade point average (GPA) in college freshman courses rated by the 188 students as their most and least challenging. Extrinsic motivation was related to GPA by an inverted-U function, and the linear correlation coefficient was significant (p     

The effect of the substrate temperature on the optical properties of reactively evaporated silicon oxide films

SiO was evaporated simultaneously onto substrates held at different temperatures in the range 25–300°C. The evaporations were carried out in an oxygen atmosphere or in high vacuum. The refractive index, the absorption constant and the thickness of the films were evaluated, and their dependence on substrate temperature, oxygen pressure and evaporation rate was determined. In addition, the packing density and the infrared transmission of the films were investigated. The influence of the substrate temperature is most pronounced under oxidizing conditions.     

Attractancy toOryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), saw-toothed grain beetle,of extracts of carobs,some triglycerides,and related compounds

A laboratory method has been devised for testing the attractancy of vapors to adultOryzaephilus surinamensis (L.). Of four solvent extracts prepared from pods of the carob tree [Ceratonia siliqua (L.)], all attractedO. surinamensis, but the least polar extract was the most active. Subdivision of extracts yielded a series of fractions, the most attractive of which contained a mixture of triglycerides with three or more double bonds per molecule. Twelve authentic triglycerides, either synthesized or purchased, elicited responses ranging from high to very low attractancy in a way which appeared to be related to the number, position, and geometrical shape of the double bonds in the molecules. By studying the response of the insects to five glyceride acids, three aldehydes, and three volatile fatty acids, it has been shown that it may be possible to explain the attractancy attributed to the triglycerides, which are involatile, in terms of the response to their volatile breakdown products.     

Transplanting shrubs for revegetation of salt-affected soils

Vegetation (secondary) succession is extremely slow on soils contaminated with soluble salts by petroleum exploration activities in arid and semiarid areas. Excessive salt accumulations interfere with seed germination and seedling establishment of most species used for revegetation. Establishment and growth of transplanted fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) seedlings and rooted stem cuttings, and seedlings of oldman saltbush (Atriplex nummularia), winterfat (Ceratoides lanata), and prostrate kochia (Kochia prostrata) were evaluated on three saline-sodic (EC (electrical conductivity) = 23 − 93 dS m^-1, ESP (exchangeable sodium percentage) = 13−46%) oil well reserve pits over a three-year period. Survival of fourwing saltbush seedlings from an accession not adapted to saline soils was only 32%, compared with 73% for seedlings or stem cuttings from an accession adapted to saline soil. Oldman saltbush suffered 100% mortality subsequent to subfreezing temperatures during the first winter following planting. Survival of winterfat and prostrate kochia transplants was 61 and 48%, respectively, after three years, and growth of these species was acceptable on the saline-sodic soils. Selection or specific accessions of species adapted to the existing conditions of the site to be revegetated appeared most promising for revegetation under extremely harsh environmental conditions.     

Gender, topic, and time in observed demand–withdraw interaction in cross- and same-sex couples.

The demand–withdraw interaction pattern has been extensively studied and consistently linked to relationship quality in cross-sex relationships, but it has received little study using observational data in same-sex relationships. Demand–withdraw behavior, which occurs when 1 partner makes a complaint or request for a change and the other partner avoids the request or withdraws from the discussion (Christensen, 1988), was observationally coded in the problem-solving interactions of 75 (20 unmarried lesbian, 15 unmarried gay male, 20 unmarried straight cohabiting, and 20 married straight) couples. Results revealed that same- and cross-sex couples engage in demanding and withdrawing behaviors in highly similar ways. For all couples, partners demanded at a higher level during their own issue than during their partner's issue, and withdrew at a higher level during their partner's issue than during their own issue. Women demanded at higher levels than men, and men withdrew at higher levels than women. All partners were more likely to be in a demanding role during their own topic than during their partner's topic. Polarization was greater in woman-selected than in man-selected topics. Demanding increased over the course of the interaction, whereas no time effect was found for withdrawing. Higher levels of each partner's demanding were associated with lower levels of their own withdrawing and higher levels of their partner's withdrawing. Finally, higher levels of total demand–withdraw behaviors were associated with lower levels of relationship satisfaction for all couple types. Implications of results for refinement of models of demand–withdraw behavior are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)