CD8+ T cell activation correlates with disease activity in clinically isolated syndromes and is regulated by interferon-beta treatment

An increased percentage of blood CD8+ T cells from patients with clinically isolated syndromes (CIS) suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS) was found to express CD26 and CD69. The percentage of CD26 or CD69 positive CD8+ T cells was higher in patients with MRI evidence of disease dissemination in space or with active MRI lesions than in the remaining patients. Treatment of MS with interferon (IFN)-beta resulted in a decrease in the percentage of CD26 and CD71 positive CD8+ T cells and an increase in the percentage of CD8+ T cells that expressed interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-13. CD8+ T cell activation in MS may be linked to disease activity already at disease onset, and is regulated by treatment with IFN-beta.

Clinical and angiographic follow-up after coronary drug-eluting and bare metal stent implantation. Do drug-eluting stents hold the promise?

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the influence of drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation on clinical and angiographic restenosis.

DESIGN

Registry study of data from the Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry with a coronary angiographic substudy.

SETTING

Multi-centre study.

SUBJECTS

During October 2002 to May 2004 a total of 23 590 percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures were performed at 25 hospitals. After selection, to achieve comparable groups, a total of 5068 patients of whom 4111 had a bare metal stent (BMS) implanted and 957 had a DES implanted, remained. End-point in the registry follow-up was >50% diameter restenosis at clinically driven reangiography within 12 months after index PCI. The primary end-point in the angiographic substudy was late loss in patients' DES at 6-month angiographic follow-up.

RESULTS

The rate of clinically driven restenosis, within 12 months, in patients receiving DES was less (3.9%) compared with those who received BMS (7.0%). In multivariate analysis the risk of clinical restenosis was one-third for DES compared with BMS (HR 0.36, 95% CI 0.25-0.52). In the angiographic substudy late loss was 0.07+/-0.53 mm (range -0.88 to 1.62). The amount of late loss was related to the presence of diabetes mellitus or not (0.19+/-0.45 mm vs. -0.12+/-0.58 mm), and lack of postdilatation of the stent or not (0.23+/-0.51 mm vs. -0.09+/-0.50 mm).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of DES in the Swedish 'real world' is effective in reducing the clinically driven restenosis rate, when compared with patients with BMS treatment. In the angiographic follow-up the average late loss was as low as observed in recent randomized multi-centre trials.

Leukaemia inhibitory factor stimulates glucose transport in isolated cardiomyocytes and induces insulin resistance after chronic exposure

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Hypertrophic and failing hearts have increased utilisation of glucose, but also develop insulin resistance and reduced ability to produce ATP. Increased levels of the IL-6-related cytokine leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) are found in failing hearts, and we have recently shown that LIF reduces ATP production in isolated cardiomyocytes. In the present study we investigated effects of LIF on glucose metabolism, and how LIF-treated cells respond to insulin stimulation.

METHODS

Cardiomyocytes were isolated from adult Wistar rats by collagen digestion, maintained in culture for 48 h, and then treated with 1 nmol/l LIF.

RESULTS

Acute LIF treatment increased deoxyglucose uptake compared with controls, but no additive effect was observed in cardiomyocytes treated with LIF and insulin. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin did not affect LIF-induced glucose uptake. LIF had no effect on AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylation. Cardiomyocytes treated with LIF for 48 h did not respond to insulin by increasing deoxyglucose uptake and showed a reduced insulin-mediated uptake of oleic acid and formation of complex lipids compared with control cells. Chronic LIF treatment increased gene expression of the suppressor of cytokine signalling (Socs) 3 and reduced expression of solute carrier family 2, member 4 (Slc2a4, previously known as glucose transporter 4 [Glut4]). In line with these observations, chronic LIF treatment reduced insulin-mediated phosphorylation of both Akt/protein kinase B (PKB) and glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Acute LIF treatment increased glucose uptake in isolated cardiomyocytes by a pathway different from that of insulin. Chronic LIF treatment induced insulin resistance, possibly mediated by altered expression of Socs3 and Slc2a4, and impaired insulin-mediated phosphorylation of GSK-3 and Akt/PKB.

A Bayesian threshold-normal mixture model for analysis of a continuous mastitis-related trait

Mastitis is associated with elevated somatic cell count in milk, inducing a positive correlation between milk somatic cell score (SCS) and the absence or presence of the disease. In most countries, selection against mastitis has focused on selecting parents with genetic evaluations that have low SCS. Univariate or multivariate mixed linear models have been used for statistical description of SCS. However, an observation of SCS can be regarded as drawn from a 2- (or more) component mixture defined by the (usually) unknown health status of a cow at the test-day on which SCS is recorded. A hierarchical 2-component mixture model was developed, assuming that the health status affecting the recorded test-day SCS is completely specified by an underlying liability variable. Based on the observed SCS, inferences can be drawn about disease status and parameters of both SCS and liability to mastitis. The prior probability of putative mastitis was allowed to vary between subgroups (e.g., herds, families), by specifying fixed and random effects affecting both SCS and liability. Using simulation, it was found that a Bayesian model fitted to the data yielded parameter estimates close to their true values. The model provides selection criteria that are more appealing than selection for lower SCS. The proposed model can be extended to handle a wide range of problems related to genetic analyses of mixture traits.

Munumbicins E-4 and E-5: novel broad-spectrum antibiotics fromStreptomycesNRRL 3052

Streptomyces NRRL 30562 was originally isolated as an endophyte from Kennedia nigriscans, snakevine, in the Northern Territory of Australia. This plant has been used for centuries by Aboriginal peoples to treat open bleeding wounds to prevent sepsis. A solvent extract of the crude fluid from cultures of this endophyte possesses wide-spectrum antibiotic activity. Some of the bioactivity is associated with the appearance of actinomycins X2, D, and Xobeta, the first two of which had been previously designated munumbicins A and B, respectively. Other novel compounds bearing wide-spectrum antibiotic activity are also produced by Streptomyces NRRL 30562, and these are designated munumbicins E-4 and E-5. Mass spectrometric analyses of these peptide antibiotics show that they have identical masses (1445.00) but different retention times on HPLC. Both compounds showed activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The plant pathogenic fungus, Pythium ultimum is sensitive to both munumbicins at 5.0 microg mL(-1) The malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum has IC50 values of 0.50+/-0.08 and 0.87+/-0.0.26 microg mL(-1) for E-4 and E-5, respectively. It appears that other bioactive compounds, related to E-4 and E-5, are also produced making it the most biologically active endophytic Streptomyces spp. on record.

Broadband topology-optimized photonic crystal components for both TE and TM polarizations

Several planar photonic crystal components topology-optimized for TE-polarized light, including 60 masculine bends, Y-splitters, and 90 masculine bends, have been characterized for the TM polarization. The experimental results are confirmed by finite-difference time-domain calculations. The surprising efficiency for TM-polarized light is found and paves the way for photonic crystal components suitable for both polarizations.

Glucocorticoid-induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscles: defects in insulin signalling and the effects of a selective glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitor

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Treatment with glucocorticoids, especially at high doses, induces insulin resistance. The aims of the present study were to identify the potential defects in insulin signalling that contribute to dexamethasone-induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscles, and to investigate whether the glycogen synthase-3 (GSK-3) inhibitor CHIR-637 could restore insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Skeletal muscles were made insulin-resistant by treating male Wistar rats with dexamethasone, a glucocorticoid analogue, for 12 days. Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, glycogen synthesis and insulin signalling were studied in skeletal muscles in vitro.

RESULTS

Dexamethasone treatment decreased the ability of insulin to stimulate glucose uptake, glycogen synthesis and glycogen synthase fractional activity. In addition, the dephosphorylation of glycogen synthase by insulin was blocked. These defects were paralleled by reduced insulin-stimulated protein kinase B (PKB) and GSK-3 phosphorylation. While expression of PKB, GSK-3 and glycogen synthase was not reduced by dexamethasone treatment, expression of the p85alpha subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) was increased. Inhibition of GSK-3 by CHIR-637 increased glycogen synthase fractional activity in soleus muscle from normal and dexamethasone-treated rats, although the effect was more pronounced in control rats. CHIR-637 did not improve insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in muscles from dexamethasone-treated rats.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

We demonstrated that chronic dexamethasone treatment impairs insulin-stimulated PKB and GSK-3 phosphorylation, which may contribute to insulin resistance in skeletal muscles. Acute pharmacological inhibition of GSK-3 activated glycogen synthase in muscles from dexamethasone-treated rats, but GSK-3 inhibition did not restore insulin-stimulated glucose uptake.

Consumption of carbohydrate solutions enhances energy intake without increased body weight and impaired insulin action in rat skeletal muscles

OBJECTIVES

In the present study, we investigated whether replacement of tap water by fructose or sucrose solutions affect rat body weight and insulin action in skeletal muscles.

METHODS

Rats were fed standard rodent chow ad libitum with water, or water containing fructose (10.5% or 35%) or sucrose (10.5% or 35%) for 11 weeks. Body weight and energy intake from chow and drinking solutions were measured. Urinary catecholamines secretion was determined after 50-60 days. At the end of the feeding period, soleus and epitrochlearis were removed for in vitro measurements of glucose uptake (with tracer amount of 2-[3H]-deoxy-D-glucose) and PKB Ser473 phosphorylation (assessed by Western Blot) with or without insulin.

RESULTS

Fructose and sucrose solutions enhanced daily energy intake by about 15% without increasing rat body weight. Secretion of urinary noradrenaline was higher in rats drinking a 35% sucrose solution than in rats drinking water. In the other groups, urinary noradrenaline secretion was similar to rats consuming water. Urinary adrenaline secretion was similar in all groups. Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and insulin-stimulated PKB phosphorylation were not reduced by intake of fructose or sucrose solution.

CONCLUSIONS

Fructose and sucrose solutions enhanced energy intake but did not increase body weight. Although noradrenaline may regulate body weight in rats drinking 35% sucrose solution, body weight seems to be regulated by other mechanisms. Intake of fructose or sucrose solution did not impair insulin-stimulated glucose uptake or signaling in skeletal muscles.

Prior (Co)Variances Can Improve Multiple-Trait Across-Country Evaluations of Weakly Linked Bull Populations

National genetic evaluation results for fore udder attachment from 9 Ayrshire populations were used to assess the impact of different uses of prior genetic correlations in multiple-trait across-country evaluations (MACE) on predicted international genetic merit. These Ayrshire populations were poorly connected; that is, 2% of the bulls had evaluations in 2 or more countries. Genetic correlations from the Holstein populations in the same countries were used as prior information to improve inferences of location parameters and international genetic merits. Fully Bayesian analyses using Gibbs sampling and computationally less demanding traditional MACE assuming a weighted average of prior and estimated Ayrshire genetic correlations were compared for 3 different prior degrees of belief and for different groups of bulls. Posterior means of genetic correlations estimated by Gibbs sampling were on average higher (+0.2) than those estimated by REML. Posterior heritabilities differed up to 0.2 units from those assumed in national genetic evaluations. Predicted genetic merit and international sire rankings of bulls with daughter information in the country of interest were not affected substantially by method of analysis and even less by varying prior degree of belief. Method of analysis had a larger impact on predicted genetic merit for bulls without daughter information in the country of interest. Here the average correlation between predicted genetic merit in different analyses ranged from 0.62 to 0.99. The predictive ability for young and randomly chosen bulls favored Bayesian MACE. The prior degree of belief did not have much impact on sire rankings and predictive ability, but intermediate prior degree of belief tended to perform best. All MACE analyses yielded nearly unbiased predictions. Traditional MACE assuming a simple weighted average of prior and estimated Ayrshire genetic correlations has been implemented by Interbull for routine international genetic evaluations.

Short Communication: Difficulties in Estimating Across-Country Genetic Correlations for Weakly Linked Bull Populations

Genetic correlations across 9 weakly linked bull populations were estimated with various models, methods, and data sets. Estimates of the same genetic correlation differed noticeably depending on estimation strategy (up to 1.03 units) for country-pairs with no or few direct genetic links. Differences in estimated genetic correlations decreased with an increasing number of genetic ties between countries, and, essentially, no differences were found between estimated genetic correlations based on 61 common bulls, regardless of the estimation strategy used.

Improved insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and glycogen synthase activation in rat skeletal muscles after adrenaline infusion: role of glycogen content and PKB phosphorylation

AIM

Effects of in vivo adrenaline infusion on subsequent insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and glycogen synthase activation was investigated in slow-twitch (soleus) and fast-twitch (epitrochlearis) muscles. Furthermore, role of glycogen content and Protein kinase B (PKB) phosphorylation for modulation insulin sensitivity was investigated.

METHODS

Male Wistar rats received adrenaline from osmotic mini pumps ( approximately 150 microg kg(-1) h(-1)) for 1 or 12 days before muscles were removed for in vitro studies.

RESULTS

Glucose uptake at physiological insulin concentration was elevated in both muscles after 1 and 12 days of adrenaline infusion. Insulin-stimulated glycogen synthase activation was also improved in both muscles. This elevated insulin sensitivity occurred despite the muscles were exposed to hyperglycaemia in vivo. After 1 day of adrenaline infusion, glycogen content was reduced in both muscles; insulin-stimulated PKB ser(473) phosphorylation was increased in both muscles only at the highest insulin concentration. After 12 days of adrenaline infusion, glycogen remained low in epitrochlearis, but returned to normal level in soleus; insulin-stimulated PKB phosphorylation was normal in both muscles.

CONCLUSION

Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and glycogen synthase activation were increased after adrenaline infusion. Increased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and glycogen synthase activation after adrenaline infusion cannot be explained by a reduction in glycogen content or an increase in PKB phosphorylation. The mechanisms for the improved insulin sensitivity after adrenaline treatment deserve particular attention as they occur in conjunction with hyperglycaemia.

Quantum Phase Transition of a Magnet in a Spin Bath

The excitation spectrum of a model magnetic system, LiHoF4, was studied with the use of neutron spectroscopy as the system was tuned to its quantum critical point by an applied magnetic field. The electronic mode softening expected for a quantum phase transition was forestalled by hyperfine coupling to the nuclear spins. We found that interactions with the nuclear spin bath controlled the length scale over which the excitations could be entangled. This generic result places a limit on our ability to observe intrinsic electronic quantum criticality.

Plasma evaluation for ivermectin in llamas (Lama glama) after standard subcutaneous dosing

Plasma levels of the parasiticide ivermectin were studied by high-performance liquid chromatography in five llamas (Lama glama) after single 200 microg/kg s.c. injections. Ivermectin levels were undetectable in plasma samples drawn up to 4 wk after injection, suggesting that the dosage used was insufficient to reach therapeutic concentrations in this species.

Broadband photonic crystal waveguide 60 degrees bend obtained utilizing topology optimization

Topology optimization has been used to design a 60 degrees bend in a single-mode planar photonic crystal waveguide. The design has been realized in a silicon-on-insulator material and we demonstrate a record-breaking 200-nm transmission bandwidth with an average bend loss of 0.43+/-0.27 dB for the TE polarization. The experimental results agree well with 3D finite-difference-time-domain simulations.

Chronic hyperglycaemia promotes lipogenesis and triacylglycerol accumulation in human skeletal muscle cells

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of hyperglycaemia in itself on glucose and lipid metabolism in human skeletal muscle cells.

METHODS

Satellite cells were isolated from biopsy samples from the vastus lateralis muscle and differentiated into multinucleated myotubes in cultures. Metabolism studies were performed using isotopes ([3H]deoxyglucose, [14C]glucose, [14C]oleic acid and [14C]palmitic acid), and mRNA and protein levels were analysed by real-time RT-PCR and western blotting respectively.

RESULTS

Exposure of myotubes to 20 mmol/l glucose for 4 days reduced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis to 57+/-5% (p<0.0001) and 56+/-5% (p<0.0001) of normoglycaemic (5.5 mmol/l glucose) controls respectively. Basal glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis were both reduced, whereas glucose oxidation was unaltered. Total cell content of glycogen and expression of GLUT1 and GLUT4 mRNA were not affected. There was a significant increase in the incorporation of glucose into cellular NEFA (88+/-17% increase, p=0.006), triacylglycerol (44+/-21% increase, p=0.04) and cholesterol ester (89+/-36% increase, p=0.02) in hyperglycaemic myotubes compared with controls. Diacylglycerol tended to be increased though not significantly, and phospholipid formation were unchanged. Relative to controls, total cell content of triacylglycerol was increased by 25+/-7% (p=0.02) and acyl-CoA:1,2-diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 activity was increased by 34+/-4% (p=0.004), whereas acyl-CoA:1,2-diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 mRNA expression was unchanged. Total cellular uptake of palmitic acid was reduced by 18+/-3% (p=0.006) in hyperglycaemic cells compared with controls, while uptake of oleic acid was unchanged. Oxidation of palmitic acid or oleic acid was not affected by hyperglycaemia.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Chronic hyperglycaemia increased triacylglycerol accumulation and the incorporation of carbohydrate into triacylglycerol (i.e. de novo lipogenesis) concomitantly with a reduced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis. Enhanced acyl-CoA:1,2-diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 activity supported the increased triacylglycerol synthesis during hyperglycaemia.

Distribution of RAPD markers on a linkage map of barley

The RAPD technique was found to provide reliable genetic markers in barley. A linkage study of 23 RAPDs, 28 RFLPs, and 29 gene loci was conducted on 72 chromosome-doubled haploid progeny lines from a barley cross. The resulting linkage map covered 680 cM, about half of the barley genome. RAPD markers were distributed throughout the map, but a higher than expected frequency of tightly linked RAPDs was observed. Several cases of skewed segregation ratios were observed, but the RAPD markers segregated in ratios similar to their linked loci, confirming that they were reliably scored. In separate crosses, two amplified RAPD products, generated by different primers, were shown to reside in corresponding chromosomal positions. The RAPD markers seem a realistic alternative to RFLP markers in linkage analysis of barley.

Topology optimization and fabrication of photonic crystal structures

Topology optimization is used to design a planar photonic crystal waveguide component resulting in significantly enhanced functionality. Exceptional transmission through a photonic crystal waveguide Z-bend is obtained using this inverse design strategy. The design has been realized in a silicon-on-insulator based photonic crystal waveguide. A large low loss bandwidth of more than 200 nm for the bandgap polarization is experimentally confirmed.

CD4 T cell activation and disease activity at onset of multiple sclerosis

We studied CD4 T cell activation in patients with clinically isolated syndromes (CIS) suggesting an initial attack of multiple sclerosis. The percentage of blood CD26+ CD4 T cells was increased in these patients, and correlated with magnetic resonance imaging disease activity and clinical disease severity. In contrast, the percentage of CD25+ CD4 T cells in cerebrospinal fluid correlated negatively with the cerebrospinal fluid concentration of myelin basic protein and the presence of IgG oligoclonal bands. These results suggest that distinct systemic and intrathecal T cell activation states correlate with disease activity and risk of subsequently developing MS in CIS patients.

Le Fort I miniplate osteosynthesis: a randomized, prospective study comparing resorbable PLLA/PGA with titanium

The aim of this study was to compare the use of resorbable osteosynthesis material (LactoSorb) with titanium osteosynthesis for the fixation of Le Fort I osteotomies with respect to long-term stability and morbidity. To achieve exact cephalometric measures, five tantalum micro implants were inserted in the maxilla during surgery. A total of 60 patients undergoing a non-segmented Le Fort I osteotomy were randomized to one of the treatments and were followed for 1 year postoperatively. For the osteotomies fixated with LactoSorb, the lateral cephalometric analysis demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the vertical position of the maxilla after 6 weeks as the position became more superior compared with the postoperative situation (mean change of 0.6 mm). In the titanium group no significant changes in position were observed. There were no statistically significant changes in the position of the maxilla from 6 weeks to 12 months in either of the treatment groups. The changes in maxillary postion were not clinically noticeable in either of the treatment groups, and all treatments were completed with satisfactory results. There were two cases of infection and wound dehiscence in the LactoSorb group, whereas titanium osteosynthesis was more often palpable after 6-12 months and required surgical removal in three cases.

Detection of mastitis in dairy cattle by use of mixture models for repeated somatic cell scores: a Bayesian approach via Gibbs sampling

The distribution of somatic cell scores could be regarded as a mixture of at least two components depending on a cow's udder health status. A heteroscedastic two-component Bayesian normal mixture model with random effects was developed and implemented via Gibbs sampling. The model was evaluated using datasets consisting of simulated somatic cell score records. Somatic cell score was simulated as a mixture representing two alternative udder health statuses ("healthy" or "diseased"). Animals were assigned randomly to the two components according to the probability of group membership (Pm). Random effects (additive genetic and permanent environment), when included, had identical distributions across mixture components. Posterior probabilities of putative mastitis were estimated for all observations, and model adequacy was evaluated using measures of sensitivity, specificity, and posterior probability of misclassification. Fitting different residual variances in the two mixture components caused some bias in estimation of parameters. When the components were difficult to disentangle, so were their residual variances, causing bias in estimation of Pm and of location parameters of the two underlying distributions. When all variance components were identical across mixture components, the mixture model analyses returned parameter estimates essentially without bias and with a high degree of precision. Including random effects in the model increased the probability of correct classification substantially. No sizable differences in probability of correct classification were found between models in which a single cow effect (ignoring relationships) was fitted and models where this effect was split into genetic and permanent environmental components, utilizing relationship information. When genetic and permanent environmental effects were fitted, the between-replicate variance of estimates of posterior means was smaller because the model accounted for random genetic drift.

Genetic Analysis of Somatic Cell Score in Norwegian Cattle Using Random Regression Test-Day Models

The dataset used in this analysis contained a total of 341,736 test-day observations of somatic cell scores from 77,110 primiparous daughters of 1965 Norwegian Cattle sires. Initial analyses, using simple random regression models without genetic effects, indicated that use of homogeneous residual variance was appropriate. Further analyses were carried out by use of a repeatability model and 12 random regression sire models. Legendre polynomials of varying order were used to model both permanent environmental and sire effects, as did the Wilmink function, the Lidauer-Mäntysaari function, and the Ali-Schaeffer function. For all these models, heritability estimates were lowest at the beginning (0.05 to 0.07) and higher at the end (0.09 to 0.12) of lactation. Genetic correlations between somatic cell scores early and late in lactation were moderate to high (0.38 to 0.71), whereas genetic correlations for adjacent DIM were near unity. Models were compared based on likelihood ratio tests, Bayesian information criterion, Akaike information criterion, residual variance, and predictive ability. Based on prediction of randomly excluded observations, models with 4 coefficients for permanent environmental effect were preferred over simpler models. More highly parameterized models did not substantially increase predictive ability. Evaluation of the different model selection criteria indicated that a reduced order of fit for sire effects was desireable. Models with zeroth- or first-order of fit for sire effects and higher order of fit for permanent environmental effects probably underestimated sire variance. The chosen model had Legendre polynomials with 3 coefficients for sire, and 4 coefficients for permanent environmental effects. For this model, trajectories of sire variance and heritability were similar assuming either homogeneous or heterogeneous residual variance structure.

Highly charged clusters of fullerenes: charge mobility and appearance sizes

Clusters of fullerenes (C60,C70)(n) are produced in a gas aggregation source and are multiply ionized in collisions with highly charged Xe(20+,30+) ions. Their stabilities and decay processes are analyzed with high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Fullerene clusters in charge states up to q=5 have been observed and appearance sizes are found to be as small as n(app)=5, 10, 21, and 33 for q=2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. The analysis of the multicoincident fragmentation spectra indicates a high charge mobility. This is in contrast to charge localization effects which have been reported for Ar(q+)(n) rare gas clusters. Clusters of fullerenes are found to be conducting when multiply charged.

A. Kim, k.f. Anderson, j. Berliner, j. Hassan, j. Jensen, h.j. Mertz, h. Pietsch, a. Rao, R. Scherer, and a. Sutterfield

In this study, three dummies were evaluated on the component level and as a whole. Their responses were compared with available volunteer and embalmed Post Mortem Human Subject (PMHS) data obtained under similar test conditions to evaluate their biofidelity. The volunteer and PMHS data, used as comparators in this study, were used previously to establish some of the biofidelity requirements of the Hybrid III. The BioRID II, the Hybrid III, and the RID2 were all subjected to rear impact HYGE sled tests with deltaVs of 17 and 28 km/hr to determine their biofidelity in these conditions. A static pull test, where a load was manually applied to the head of each dummy, was used to evaluate the static strength of their necks in flexion and extension. Finally, pendulum tests were conducted with the Hybrid III and RID2 to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of their necks in flexion and extension. The sled test results indicate that out of the three dummies, the overall flexibility of the Hybrid III is comparable to that of the volunteer anticipating the impact. The overall flexibilities of the BioRID II and the RID2 are greater than those of all the comparators used in this study (the tensed volunteer and the two embalmed PMHSs). The responses of the Hybrid III are closer to those of the tensed volunteer than those of the PMHSs. The responses of the BioRID II and the RID2 are closer to those of the PMHSs than to the tensed volunteer.

Bayesian Estimates of Covariance Components Between Lactation Curve Parameters and Disease Liability in Danish Holstein Cows

In the present work, covariance components for milk yield and disease liability were estimated with bivariate random regression test-day sire models using a Bayesian approach and implemented via the Gibbs sampler. The data consist of 8075 first-parity Danish Holstein (DH) cows, from 1259 sires, performing in 57 herds from 1992 to 1997. Treatments associated with five different type of diseases were pooled into a single general disease liability for each cow. Two models were fitted to the data. First, using a bivariate model, milk yield is modeled via a random regression, and disease liability via a repeatablility model. Second, using a bivariate model, both milk yield and disease liability are modeled using random regressions. A comparison based on a Bayes factor provides very strong support for the bivariate random regression model. Posterior means of heritabilities for each of the traits were estimated for five different points in time throughout lactation. Across models, heritabilities for milk yield are lowest in the beginning of the lactation (0.19) and highest at the end of the lactation (0.35). Posterior means of heritabilities of disease liability range from 0.04 to 0.10 for test days, and is equal to 0.20 for the whole lactation. Heritability of persistency measures estimated from the two models are 0.20 and 0.21. Estimates of posterior means of genetic correlations between single test-day milk yield and single test-day disease liability are in the range of 0.31 to 0.57. The estimates of posterior mean and of the 95% posterior interval of the genetic correlation between persistency and (total) disease liability using the model with the highest posterior probability are -0.12 and (-0.44; 0.20), respectively. Even though the largest proportion of the posterior probability mass is spread along negative values of the correlation (indicating that individuals with a flatter lactation curve tend to have lower disease liability), a value of zero of the genetic correlation falls comfortably within the 95% posterior interval. Thus the prospects of reducing incidence of disease by manipulating persistency as defined in this work remain inconclusive.

Evidence that nitroprusside stimulates glucose uptake in isolated rat cardiomyocytes via mitogen-activated protein kinase

Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a nitric oxide (NO.) donor, stimulates glucose uptake in skeletal muscle. We investigated the stimulatory effect of SNP on glucose uptake in cardiomyocytes and the possible role of soluble guanylate cyclase, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI-3-kinase) and the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Cardiomyocytes were isolated from adult male Wistar rats by trypsin/collagenase perfusion and glucose uptake determined from the accumulation of 3H-2-deoxyglucose. SNP caused a dose-dependent increase in glucose uptake with 200-300% increase at 30 mM. Cytochalasin B completely prevented the SNP-induced increase in glucose uptake. 8-Br-cGMP (100 microM) and the NO. donor spermineNONOate (100 microM) were without effect on basal glucose uptake. SNP-stimulated glucose uptake was not inhibited by the guanylate cyclase inhibitor ODQ (10 microM). Sodium ferrocyanide (Na4Fe(CN)6), a compound structurally related to SNP, but without any NO. group, also stimulated glucose uptake in cardiomyocytes suggesting that the effect of SNP could be unrelated to liberation of NO. Wortmannin, an inhibitor of PI-3-kinase, inhibited insulin-stimulated glucose uptake completely but did not affect SNP-stimulated glucose uptake. SNP-stimulated glucose uptake was inhibited by 50 microM PD 098059 (inhibitor of the MAPK-kinases that activate external regulated kinase [ERK1/2]) and by 50 microM SB203580 (inhibitor of p38MAPK). In conclusion, high SNP concentrations dose-dependently stimulate glucose uptake in cardiomyocytes and our data suggest a role for MAPK signalling, but not PI-3-kinase and soluble guanylate cyclase, in stimulation of glucose uptake.

Life history and ecology of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from West Greenland

During 1988, 1989 and 1995, 187 harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) were sampled from the catches off West Greenland. The samples were taken in 3 areas between 62° N and 70° N: northerly (n=134, Maniitsoq and locations Kangaamiut, Qeqertarsuaq and Qasigiannguit further north), southerly (n=30, Nuuk) and southernmost (n=23, Paamiut). A suite of biological measurements and data were collected from these samples. Comparison of age and length distributions between years and areas indicated that while there were no statistical differences between the Maniitsoq and northerly samples in different years, the southerly Nuuk and Paamiut samples were biased to younger age classes. Application of the Gompertz growth model to length and weight at age data indicated an asymptotic length of 154 cm in females and 143 cm in males with weights of 64 kg and 52 kg respectively. A number of correlations were observed between length, midgirth(G3), body and blubber weights and blubber thickness. Indicators of body condition showed that overall pregnant females were fattest but that blubber thickness was greatest in juveniles. The blubber lipid content was generally 92-95% wet weight of tissue. Stomach content analysis for 92 animals indicated regional differences, although capelin (Mallotus villosus) was predominant in all samples. The presence of fish, squid and crustaceans indicated opportunistic feeding. Females ovulated from age 3-4 years at a length of about 140 cm; combined testis weights >200 g indicated maturation in males from age 2 years upwards at a length >125 cm. Several small embryos were found, consistent with a mating season in late summer. Testis hypertrophy in August also supported a late summer breeding. Analysis of ovarian corpora indicated annual ovulation. Certain biological parameters, including body condition indicators, indicate differences between WestGreenland and eastern North Atlantic populations that agree with published genetic findings.

Genetic parameters of postnatal mortality in Danish Holstein calves

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters of postnatal mortality (PM) in dairy cattle. Data originated from 841,921 Danish Holstein calves. Four binary traits of mortality were considered: D1-14, D15-60, D61-180, and D1-180 with numbers indicating the period of risk in days after birth. The unadjusted frequency of D1-14, D15-60, D61-180, and D1-180 were 0.027, 0.018, 0.020, and 0.066, respectively. A linear sire-model was fitted to the data, and average information-REML was used to estimate (co)variance components. Estimates of direct heritabilities for the four mortality traits ranged from 0.001 to 0.008 but were all significant. D61-180 and D1-180 had the highest direct heritabilities. Maternal heritabilities were very low, ranging from 0.0002 to 0.0015 and significant for D1-14 and D1-180 only. The direct genetic correlation between D1-14 and D15-60, between D15-60 and D61-180, and between D1-14 and D61-180 was 0.73, 0.54, and 0.34, respectively. It indicates that different genes are responsible for early PM (D1-14) and late PM (D61-180). When D61-180 was treated as a different trait for females, males not transferred, and transferred males, the direct heritability was 0.004, 0.008, and 0.034, respectively, but the direct genetic correlations between these three traits were very high. If transfers of calves are getting more common, the importance of including PM in a breeding program will increase, as the genetic variation of PM was considerably higher for transferred calves than for calves that were not transferred.

Barley disease resistance gene analogs of the NBS-LRR class: identification and mapping

The majority of verified plant disease resistance genes isolated to date are of the NBS-LRR class, encoding proteins with a predicted nucleotide binding site (NBS) and a leucine-rich repeat (LRR) region. We took advantage of the sequence conservation in the NBS motif to clone, by PCR, gene fragments from barley representing putative disease resistance genes of this class. Over 30 different resistance gene analogs (RGAs) were isolated from the barley cultivar Regatta. These were grouped into 13 classes based on DNA sequence similarity. Actively transcribed genes were identified from all classes but one, and cDNA clones were isolated to derive the complete NBS-LRR protein sequences. Some of the NBS-LRR genes exhibited variation with respect to whether and where particular introns were spliced, as well as frequent premature polyadenylation. DNA sequences related to the majority of the barley RGAs were identified in the recently expanded public rice genomic sequence database, indicating that the rice sequence can be used to extract a large proportion of the RGAs from barley and other cereals. Using a combination of RFLP and PCR marker techniques, representatives of all barley RGA gene classes were mapped in the barley genome, to all chromosomes except 4H. A number of the RGA loci map in the vicinity of known disease resistance loci, and the association between RGA S-120 and the nematode resistance locus Ha2 on chromosome 2H was further tested by co-segregation analysis. Most of the RGA sequences reported here have not been described previously, and represent a useful resource as candidates or molecular markers for disease resistance genes in barley and other cereals.

Potential for improving description of bovine udder health status by combined analysis of milk parameters

The objective of this study was to assess the potential of a stepwise multivariate procedure to quantify cow-level udder health based on eight milk parameters: milk yield, protein percentage, fat percentage, lactose percentage, citrate percentage, somatic cell count (SCC), and two electrical conductivity parameters. The data were collected in one research herd and included 821 cow-level observations. In addition to milk parameters, disease recordings and bacteriology on quarter milk samples every eighth week throughout lactation were included. A multivariate mixed model was applied to the milk parameters in a healthy subset to adjust for the following systematic factors: total mixed ration (TMR) energy density, breed-line combination, parity, stage of lactation, and season. The proportion of variance accounted for by the mixed model ranged from 0.14 to 0.82 depending on milk parameter. The adjustments estimated in the healthy subset were applied to the whole dataset, including observations pertaining to nonhealthy cows. Combined description of the adjusted variation in the milk parameters was performed with a principal component analysis. The first principal component (Prin1) described 30% of the adjusted variation and was interpreted as being the main consequences of mastitis. Finally, cluster analysis based on Prin1 separated the observations into nine clusters, which were strongly associated with udder health in terms of increasing clinical and subclinical mastitis with increasing level of Prin1. It was concluded that a multivariate approach to assess udder health from milk parameters has the potential to substantially improve description of udder health.

Evidence favoring the involvement of CC chemokine receptor (CCR) 5 in T-lymphocyte accumulation in optic neuritis

OBJECTIVE

To define the relationships between levels of chemokine receptor (CCR)5+ T-cells in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of optic neuritis (ON) and control patients (CON).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Expression of CCR5 and related receptors CCR1 and CCR3 on CD4- and CD8-positive T-cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and CSF was determined by flow cytometry in 20 patients with ON, 16 control patients with lumbar spondylosis, 20 healthy controls (HC) and 16 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

RESULTS

CCR5+CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells were enriched in CSF, compared with PBMC, in both ON and CON patients (all P < 0.001), and the percentages of CD4+/CCR5+ (r = 0.917) and CD8+/CCR5+ (r = 0.828) cells in PBMC and CSF were strongly and directly correlated. CCR5+ T-cells produce high amounts of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and very low amounts of interleukin-5 (IL-5). Closely related receptors (CCR1, CCR3) were not altered.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest an involvement of CCR5 in T-cell accumulation in the inflamed central nervous system.

Disposition of sulfadimethoxine in male llamas (Llama glama) after single intravenous and oral administrations

This study determined the disposition of sulfadimethoxine in six, healthy, adult, gelded male llamas (Llama glama) by using a nonrandomized crossover design with i.v. dosing (58.8 +/- 3.0 mg/kg based on metabolic scaling) followed by oral dosing (59.3 mg/kg +/- 8.3). Blood samples were collected intermittently for a 72-hr period, and serum sulfadimethoxine concentrations were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography. Serum sulfadimethoxine concentrations across time were subjected to standard pharmacokinetic analysis based on linear regression. Mean maximum serum concentration after oral dosing was 23.6 +/- 14.9 microg/ml, and extrapolated peak concentration after i.v. administration was 246.6 +/- 15.8 microg/ml. Total clearance of sulfadimethoxine was 45.4 +/- 13.9 L/kg. Half-lives after i.v. and oral administration were 541 +/- 111 min and 642.4 +/- 204.8 min, respectively. Oral bioavailability was 52.6 +/- 15%. These data suggest that the oral dose administered to llamas in this study, based on metabolic scaling from cattle, may be inadequate when compared with the reported minimum inhibitory concentration (512 microg/ml) breakpoint for sulfadimethoxine.

Specific elements of a new hemodynamics display improves the performance of anesthesiologists

OBJECTIVE

We tested the hypothesis that a monitoring display proposed by Blike et al. improves the performance of anesthesiologists. We measured the performance of anesthesiologists using the new display and compared it to their performance with a traditional display. We studied three different displays on how they affected recognition and differentiation of five etiologies of shock-anaphylaxis, bradycardia, hypovolemia, ischemia and pulmonary embolus.

METHODS

The participants monitored heart rate, systemic arterial and pulmonary blood pressure, central venous pressure, and cardiac output during five shock states and five non-shock states. The resulting 10 data sets made up ten decision screens, which we presented randomly on a computer monitor to the subjects in one of three different formats (a Single Sensor Single Indicator (SSSI) Numeric display; an Object display; and an Object Minus Shapes display). Subjects used soft-buttons on a computer touch-screen monitor to: a) advance to the next display; b) differentiate a non-shock state from a shock state; and, c) select the etiology of shock state represented by the display (Figure 4). The internal clock and memory of the computer made the collection of data automatic.

RESULTS

The subjects recognized a problem more rapidly with the help of a graphical "pointer on a reference scale" in both Object displays, but their accuracy had not improved in comparison to the SSSI Numeric display. The shape of the Object display improved performance of etiology determination compared to the Object Minus Shapes display and SSSI Numeric display. Testing (10 trials) was completed in less than 45 minutes.

CONCLUSIONS

The new display with "emergent features" can improve the diagnostic performance of clinicians.

Double-to-single target ionization ratio for electron capture in fast p-He collisions

We have used the ion storage ring CRYRING and its internal gas-jet target and recoil-ion-momentum spectrometer to measure absolute cross sections for transfer ionization (TI: p+He-->H0+He2++e(-)) in 2.5-4.5 MeV p-He collisions with separate Thomas (TTI) and kinematic (KTI) TI contributions. The probability for electron emission in kinematical capture decreases with increasing velocity and appears to approach the photoionization shakeoff value (1.63%) [T. Aberg, Phys. Rev. A 2, 1726 (1970)]]. The velocity dependence of the TTI cross section is consistent with the theoretically predicted v(-11) scaling [J. S. Briggs and K. Taulbjerg, J. Phys. B 12, 2565 (1979)]].