The community-centered board model of managed care for people with developmental disabilities

An asymmetric triazine derivative, HOE 092 V,2-[3,5-alpha-dichloro-4-(4-methyl-sulfonylphenoxy)-phenyl]- 1-methyl-hexahydro-1,2,4-triazine-3,5-dion, was tested in vivo against Glugea anomala parasitizing the connective tissue of sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Naturally infected sticklebacks were incubated in 10-1 plastic aquaria in water containing 0, 2.5, 5, and 10 micrograms HOE 092 V/ml for 2, 3, and 4 h at 22 degrees C. As seen at the ultrastructural level, the drug caused severe damage to all developmental stages of G. anomala except the mature spores. Starting with a dose of 2.5 micrograms/ml, the drug caused significant damage on uni- and multinucleate meronts, sporogonial plasmodia, and sporoblasts. The damage mainly consisted in a decrease in the number of ribosomes, an enlargement of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum and a vacuolization of the cytoplasma. When treatment was done with 5 micrograms for 2 h, multinucleate meronts and sporogonial plasmodia were no longer detectable, and the sporoblasts and the prespore stages except the mature spores had shrunk. After incubation of the infected fish with 10 micrograms HOE 092 V/ml and 4 h exposure, uninucleate meronts were no longer detectable by means of transmission electron microscopy. In the sporoblast mother cells, vacuolization of the cytoplasma and lysis of the nuclei occurred. However, mature spores were not affected. It seems likely that HOE 092 V can be successfully applied in medicinal baths against Microsporidia in fish. The infected fish should be incubated in separate, aerated containers.     

Ultrastructural immunocytochemical localization of neurotensin and the dopamine D2 receptor in the rat nucleus accumbens

The neuroleptic-like effects of neurotensin (NT) are thought to be due to interactions with dopamine (DA) acting primarily at D2 receptors within the nucleus accumbens septi (Acb). Using electron microscopic dual labeling immunocytochemistry, we sought to demonstrate cellular substrates for functional interactions involving NT and DA D2 receptors in the adult rat Acb. Peroxidase reaction product representing D2 receptor-like immunoreactivity (D2-LI) was seen along membranes of Golgi lamellae and multivesicular bodies of perikarya containing immunogold labeling representing NT-LI. Dually labeled somata usually contained highly indented nuclei, a characteristic of aspiny neurons. Dendrites also occasionally colocalized the two immunomarkers. Other somata, dendrites, and all axon terminals were singly labeled with either NT-LI or D2-LI. In distinct sets of terminals, NT-LI was commonly associated with large, dense-cored vesicles, whereas D2-LI was found along the plasmalemma and over nearby small clear vesicles. Each type of terminal comprised approximately 20% of synaptic input to NT-immunoreactive dendrites. Similar proportions of terminals containing NT-LI or D2-LI contacted unlabeled (approximately 55%) or NT-labeled (approximately 35%) dendrites and, occasionally, were observed converging onto common dendrites. Terminals containing NT-LI or D2-LI also were often closely apposed. These findings provide the first ultrastructural evidence that: (1) NT and D2 receptors are colocalized in aspiny neurons and dendrites, (2) NT may produce a direct postsynaptic effect on neurons receiving input from terminals which are presynaptically modulated by DA via D2 receptors, and (3) NT and DA acting at D2 receptors may interact through presynaptic modulation of common axon terminals.     

Traffic classification and scheduling in ATM networks

Virtual paths (VPs) are an integral part of the resource management and control hierarchy of ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) networks. To improve the utilization of network resources and facilitate management and control, source types are organized into traffic classes. Each traffic class is transported by its own virtual path subnetwork. In this paper, we consider issues related to the design of traffic classes. We consider an ATM switch node to which cells arrive from a diverse set of source types. Traffic classes are assumed to be served according to a weighted round robin policy, while cells belonging to a given traffic class are served in first-come-first-served order. We consider the problem of determining the optimal set of traffic classes. Under suitable simplifying assumptions, it is shown that the above problem can be modeled as a set-partitioning problem. The structure of the problem at hand is then exploited to develop an efficient heuristic. Several examples are given to illustrate the developed methodology.Supported partially through NSF Grant NCR-891447 and AT&T Grant 5-23690.     

Sexual disorders: demographic and diagnostic profile during one year of a multidisciplinary project

Taking into consideration a study published 10 years ago on sexual disturbances of students at the University of S?o Paulo, the importance of the subject is discussed, along with the creation in 1993 of the Sexuality Project at the university hospital of the University of S?o Paulo School of Medicine. In its first year, this multidisciplinary project attended 140 patients with sexual dysfunctions (associated or not to other clinical manifestations); the majority were younger than 60 years-old, and 80 percent were male.     

Modified tracking loop for DS spread spectrum systems

A nonconventional pseudo-noise (PN) code tracking loop for direct sequence (DS) spread spectrum systems is presented. It solves problems of component imbalance while maintaining hardware simplicity.<>     

Cracking orientation and induced anisotropy of a ceramic matrix composite under off-axis loading

The effect of matrix microcracking on the stiffnesses of a carbon-fibre/SiC-matrix woven composite is studied by means of an ultrasonic method. It provides the whole set of the stiffness tensor coefficients which are inaccessible by classical strain measurements and which are required to identify anisotropic damage. The induced anisotropy depends on the loading direction. If a tensile solicitation in a fibre direction leads to stiffnesses decreases without any rotation of principal axes, a tensile solicitation of 45° from a fibre direction creates microcracks with a predominant orientation that does not coincide with the elastic symmetry axes, and induce a fully anisotropic elastic degradation.     

A common genetic variation in the 3'-untranslated region of the prothrombin gene is associated with elevated plasma prothrombin levels and an increase in venous thrombosis

We have examined the prothrombin gene as a candidate gene for venous thrombosis in selected patients with a documented familial history of venous thrombophilia. All the exons and the 5'- and 3'-UT region of the prothrombin gene were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing in 28 probands. Except for known polymorphic sites, no deviations were found in the coding regions and the 5'-UT region. Only one nucleotide change (a G to A transition) at position 20210 was identified in the sequence of the 3'-UT region. Eighteen percent of the patients had the 20210 AG genotype, as compared with 1% of a group of healthy controls (100 subjects). In a population-based case-control study, the 20210 A allele was identified as a common allele (allele frequency, 1.2%; 95% confidence interval, 0.5% to 1.8%), which increased the risk of venous thrombosis almost threefold {odds ratio, 2.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.4 to 5.6}. The risk of thrombosis increased for all ages and both sexes. An association was found between the presence of the 20210 A allele and elevated prothrombin levels. Most individuals (87%) with the 20210 A allele are in the highest quartile of plasma prothrombin levels (> 1.15 U/mL). Elevated prothrombin itself also was found to be a risk factor for venous thrombosis.     

Dental caries in nineteenth century upper Canada

This study examines the presence of dental caries in a large sample of adult skeletons from the 19th century cemetery of St. Thomas' Anglican Church in Belleville, Ontario. The cemetery was used from 1821 to 1874. Caries prevalence and frequencies of diseased and missing teeth were calculated both by observing summary statistics of individual rates and by the total sample of teeth. Postmortem tooth loss is low in this sample and antemortem tooth loss is highest in first mandibular molars, all other molars and then premolars. Age at death, but not sex, was found to be significantly related to the overall Caries Rate while both age and sex were significantly associated with the Diseased-Missing Index. The increase in diseased and missing teeth in older individuals is expected while the sex difference is not explained by simple dietary factors. When compared to reports on British and American samples, caries and antemortem tooth loss in the St. Thomas' sample is most similar to a pre-1850 British group and higher than American samples. Although there is undoubtedly a complex of factors contributing to caries prevalence in this sample, more data are required from large historic samples, particularly from the American northeast and late 19th century Britain, to have a clearer understanding of the influence of diet, cultural, and environmental factors affecting caries rates in historic populations.