Pulmonary and allergy subspecialty care in adults with asthma. Treatment, use of services, and health outcomes

This study examined the relationship of several maternal variables to the duration of exclusive breast-feeding and the total duration of breast-feeding, along with attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs about breast-feeding among women living in poor neighborhoods of Managua, Nicaragua. The field work was carried out in December 1992 and January 1993 using qualitative and quantitative methods. A structured questionnaire was administered in interviews with 556 mothers of children under 12 months of age, and meetings of four directed discussion groups were held, in which a total of 20 women participated. At one week of age, almost all the children of the mothers who were surveyed had been breast-fed, but only 45% had been exclusively breast-fed. At 12 weeks old, 30% were already completely weaned. The discussion groups revealed the coexistence of positive opinions about both breast-feeding and bottle-feeding. However, exclusive breast-feeding was considered harmful for the mother, and breast milk was not thought to be sufficient nourishment for the child. Previous experience was strongly related to the duration of exclusive breast-feeding and to total breast-feeding duration. Attitudes, social support, and work situation were important factors influencing the total length of time women breast-fed a child. In general, the results obtained through the interviews and in the discussion groups were in agreement and showed that the elements needed to promote exclusive breast-feeding were social support, a favorable community environment, and policies that dealt with problems faced by working mothers. The complementary research methods were useful for obtaining information about the relative importance of different factors that determine the duration of breast-feeding and for understanding that practice in greater depth from the mother's point of view.     

CBF beta-SMMHC, expressed in M4Eo AML, reduced CBF DNA-binding and inhibited the G1 to S cell cycle transition at the restriction point in myeloid and lymphoid cells

CBF beta-SMMHC is expressed from the inv(16) chromosome in M4Eo AML. Mice lacking CBF subunits or expressing the CBF beta-SMMHC or AML1-ETO oncoproteins failed to develop definitive hematopoiesis. To investigate these effects on hematopoiesis, we expressed CBF beta-SMMHC from the metallothionein promoter, in both 32D cl3 myeloid cells and Ba/F3 B-lymphoid cells. Addition of zinc increased CBF beta-SMMHC levels more than tenfold, with higher levels evident in Ba/F3 lines. Levels obtained in 32D cl3 cells were similar to those of endogenous CBF beta. Indirect immunofluorescence revealed zinc-inducible speckled, nuclear staining in Ba/F3 cells and diffuse nuclear staining in 32D cl3 cells. CBF beta-SMMHC reduced endogenous CBF DNA-binding fivefold in both cell types, increased cell generation time 1.9-fold, on average, in 32D cl3 cells and 1.5-fold in Ba/ F3 cells and decreased tritiated thymidine incorporation into DNA correspondingly. CBF beta-SMMHC increased the proportion of cells in G1 1.7-fold, on average, in 32D cl3 and Ba/F3 cells, and decreased the proportion of cells in S phase by a similar degree. CBF beta-SMMHC induced a marked increase in hypophosphorylated Rb, but did not alter IL-3 Receptor alpha or beta subunit levels. Neither apoptosis nor 32D differentiation was induced by zinc in IL-3 in these lines. Induction of CBF beta-SMMHC in 32D cl3 cells did not inhibit their differentiation to neutrophils or their expression of myeloperoxidase mRNA in G-CSF, and did not produce an eosinophilic phenotype. Additional, proliferative genetic changes in M4eo AMLs might potentiate inhibition of differentiation by CBF beta-SMMHC by allowing its increased expression.     

Homologous and heterologous desensitisation of somatostatin-induced increases in intracellular Ca2+ and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in CHO-K1 cells expressing human recombinant somatostatin sst5 receptors

The mechanisms responsible for somatostatin (SRIF)-induced increases in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and subsequent desensitisation were studied in CHO-K1 cells expressing human sst5 receptors (CHOsst5 cells). To study the nature of the desensitisation, interactions with uridine triphosphate (UTP) were examined. SRIF (pEC50 7.10) and UTP (pEC50) 5.14) caused concentration-dependent increases in [Ca2+]i but the SRIF maximum was about 40% of that to UTP. SRIF-, but not UTP-, induced increases in [Ca2+]i were transient and abolished by pertussis toxin. SRIF and UTP caused sustained increases in Ins(1,4,5)P3 but the SRIF maximum was about 30% of that to UTP. Removal of [Ca2+]e attenuated the SRIF-induced peak rise in [Ca2+]i but had no effect on the peak increases in Ins(1,4,5)P3. UTP-induced increases in [Ca2+]i and Ins(1,4,5)P3 were attenuated in the absence of [Ca2+]e. Following pre-exposure to SRIF (1 microM) or UTP (100 microM) for 5 min, subsequent SRIF responses were desensitised. Similar results were obtained in the absence of [Ca2+]e. Pre-exposure to SRIF had no effect on subsequent responses to UTP but in the absence of [Ca2+]e, responses to UTP were attenuated. The results suggest that SRIF but not UTP-induced increases in [Ca2+]i in CHOsst5 cells are mediated by pertussis toxin sensitive G proteins and are caused by an entry of extracellular Ca2+ and release from an Ins(1,4,5)P3 sensitive Ca2+ store. Homologous or heterologous desensitisation of agonist-induced increases in [Ca2+]i could be demonstrated in the presence or absence of extracellular Ca2+ respectively, and the latter appeared to involve depletion of a common intracellular Ca2+ store.     

Mesencephalic microinjections of neurotensin-(1-13) and its C-terminal fragment, neurotensin-(8-13), potentiate brain stimulation reward

Using the curve shift method, we assessed the effects of ventromedial mesencephalic tegmental (VMT) microinjections of an equimolar concentration of neurotensin-(1-13) (NT-(1-13)) and of its C-terminal fragment, neurotensin-(8-13) (NT-(8-13)), on operant responding for rewarding electrical stimulation of the caudal mesencephalic central gray. The effects of NT-(1-13) and NT-(8-13) on brain stimulation reward (BSR) were also compared to those of systemically administered quinpirole (0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg, s.c.), a direct dopamine agonist, and GBR-12909 (10 and 20 mg/kg, i.p.), a selective dopamine uptake blocker. At the concentration injected, NT-(8-13) was as effective as NT-(1-13) at facilitating BSR, producing significant leftward shifts of the function relating the rate of responding to the stimulation frequency (R/F function); neither form of the peptide was effective when injected in regions dorsal to the VMT. Similarly, GBR-12909 produced a parallel leftward shift of the R/F function, but, unlike NT-(1-13), also significantly increased the asymptotic rates of responding. In contrast, the high dose of quinpirole produced non-parallel leftward shifts of the R/F function and suppressed the asymptote. The similarity between the effects of neurotensin and GBR-12909 on one hand, and the differences between those of neurotensin and quinpirole on the other, suggest that activation VMT neurotensin receptors potentiate BSR by enhancing increases in dopamine neurotransmission that are contingent upon operant responding or rewarding brain stimulation, or both.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Toward a unified theory of similarity and recognition.

A new theory of similarity, rooted in the detection and recognition literatures, is developed. The general recognition theory assumes that the perceptual effect of a stimulus is random but that on any single trial it can be represented as a point in a multidimensional space. Similarity is a function of the overlap of perceptual distributions. It is shown that the general recognition theory contains Euclidean distance models of similarity as a special case but that unlike them, it is not constrained by any distance axioms. Three experiments are reported that test the empirical validity of the theory. In these experiments the general recognition theory accounts for similarity data as well as the currently popular similarity theories do, and it accounts for identification data as well as the longstanding "champion" identification model does. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

New integrated buried laser-ridge modulator with identical active layer

Integrated laser modulators are attractive devices for wavelength-division-multiplexing optical systems due to their compactness, high output power, and low cost. Their fabrication simplicity is a way to decrease further the transmitter cost and address new opening markets of short range and metropolitan networks. We report a new integration scheme electroabsorption-modulator distributed feedback (DFB) laser based on well-established industrial solutions for discrete buried ridge (BRS) DFB lasers and discrete shallow ridge modulators. Processing simplification with an identical active layer has been possible due to a good behavior of strongly positively detuned BRS lasers. The integrated devices demonstrated 30-dB extinction ratio with 10-GHz bandwidth and P/sub out/=10 dBm for emission in 1.55-/spl mu/m range.     

SMC composites waste management as reinforcing fillers in polypropylene by combination of mechanical and chemical recycling processes

A new process of management of waste of composite materials from Sheet Moulding Compounds (SMC), as reinforcing fillers for thermoplastic materials, including both mechanical and chemical processes is proposed in this paper. Communited SMC being composed of coated glass fibres intimately mixed with calcium carbonate powder, their reinforcing power is low. First, the fibrous part was increased by partial dissolution of calcium carbonate present in the crushed products SMC. Second, a process of partial solvolysis was developed aiming at strong increasing the interfacial mechanical properties by functionalising of SMC load incorporated into polypropylene/grafted maleic anhydride polypropylene (PP/PP_gma). At this effect, we investigated a treatment with a hot triamine (diethylenetriamine, DETA) in order to create a functionalisation, after scission of the bond ester of unsaturated polyester, as bridging amino-succinimide.The effect of this recycling way by partial solvolysis was checked from the mechanical properties of the resulting reinforced PP/PP_gma material: Although a lower of Young modulus, better yield stress and especially resilience were observed.     

DSM-III-R personality disorders in a mood and anxiety disorders clinic: prevalence, comorbidity, and clinical correlates

This study examined the prevalence, comorbidity, and clinical correlates of personality disorders in an outpatient sample (N = 352) with anxiety and depression. Subjects were diagnosed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) on Axes I and II, and they also completed interview and self-report measures of symptoms. Subjects with a personality disorder were less likely to be married, more likely to be single or divorced, had lower family incomes, had more severe symptoms of both anxiety and depression, and had a greater number of lifetime Axis I diagnoses. Subjects with dysthymic and bipolar disorders were more likely, and subjects with panic disorder uncomplicated by agoraphobia were less likely to have a personality disorder compared to the rest of the sample. The most prevalent personality disorders were Avoidant, Obsessive-Compulsive, Paranoid, and Borderline. Paranoid co-occurred with Narcissistic, and Borderline co-occurred with Histrionic personality disorder significantly more often than chance and base rates would predict.