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γδT cells are key players in cancer immune surveillance because of their ability to recognize malignant transformed cells, which makes them promising therapeutic tools in the treatment of cancer. However, the biological mechanisms of how γδT-cell receptors (TCRs) interact with their ligands are poorly understood. Within this context, we describe the novel allo-HLA–restricted and CD8α-dependent Vγ5Vδ1TCR. In contrast to the previous assumption of the general allo-HLA reactivity of a minor fraction of γδTCRs, we show that classic anti-HLA–directed, γδTCR-mediated reactivity can selectively act on hematological and solid tumor cells, while not harming healthy tissues in vitro and in vivo. We identified the molecular interface with proximity to the peptide-binding groove of HLA-A*24:02 as the essential determinant for recognition and describe the critical role of CD8 as a coreceptor. We conclude that alloreactive γδT-cell repertoires provide therapeutic opportunities, either within the context of haplotransplantation or as individual γδTCRs for genetic engineering of tumor-reactive T cells.

Although vaccination is an effective measure in reducing the risk of bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) in cattle, BRDC losses remain significant. Increasing the efficacy of vaccination depends on elucidating the protective immune response to different antigens included in vaccines, determining the best timing for vaccination, and understanding the impact of the age of the calf on vaccination. This study measured the serum antibodies present in calves following vaccination against 4 viruses commonly associated with BRDC: bovine viral diarrhea virus type 1 and 2 (BVDV1 and BVDV2), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), and bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV1). Serum antibody titers were measured in more than 1,600 calves at 3-wk intervals starting at the time of the first vaccination. This first vaccination occurred at weaning for approximately half of the individuals and 3 wk before weaning for the other half. Dam age (years), time of weaning (initial vaccination or booster vaccination), and age of calf within year–season (days within year–season) classification all were found to have a significant effect on measured traits such as the initial titer and overall response. An increased initial titer was negatively correlated with each response trait (initial, booster, and overall response). Calves that were weaned at initial vaccination had greater overall antibody response to BVDV1 and BVDV2 compared with calves weaned 3 wk before initial vaccination. In contrast, calves given their initial vaccination 3 wk before weaning had greater overall antibody response to BRSV and BHV1 compared with calves that were vaccinated at weaning. Furthermore, the circulating antibody titer at which each virus needed to be below for an individual calf to positively respond to vaccination was determined (log2titer of 0.38 for BVDV1, 1.5 for BVDV2, 3.88 for BRSV, and 1.5 for BHV1). This information can be used to improve vaccination protocols to allow for a greater response rate of individuals to vaccination and, hopefully, improved protection.

Afin d’éviter un sous-dosage de la rilpivirine, la prise concomitante avec un repas et la mise en garde de l’interaction avec les anti-acides et anti-sécrétoires doivent être recommandées au patient. Deux audits ont été réalisés à un an d’intervalle afin d’évaluer les connaissances des patients s’y rapportant et les pratiques pharmaceutiques de notre rétrocession hospitalière.

Generalizing a recently introduced approximation scheme valid when the director relaxation time is large compared to the inverse frequency of an oscillatory flow, we derive equations for the time-averaged torques on the director for a prescribed plane shear flow. Whereas for a linear flow field (simple Couette flow) the average torques vanish, one has for Poiseuille flow (and more general flow fields) torques that tend to orient the director essentially perpendicular to the flow plane. For flow-aligning materials the orientation parallel to the flow is also (weakly) stable. Including the effect of homeotropic surface alignment we estimate the threshold of the oscillation amplitude for the out-of-plane transition. The results are essentially recovered (and improved) by direct numerical simulations.

We calculate the threshold for electrohydrodynamic convection in homeotropically oriented nematic layers with negative dielectric anistropy that sets in after the bend-Fréedericksz transition to a quasi-planar alignment has taken place. Oblique rolls are found in a larger range than in the case of planar anchoring. The most interesting prediction is that in the weakly nonlinear analysis all roll solution are in fact unstable so that a direct transition to spatio-temporal chaos becomes possible. In the oblique-roll case this may be accompanied by a permanent local rotation of the director bend axis. Application of a planar magnetic field should stabilize the rolls.

A rigorous linear and weakly nonlinear analysis of Rayleigh-Bénard convection in homeotropically aligned nematic liquid crystals is presented for both adverse convection (heating from above) and normal convection (heating from below) allowing for th presence of magnetic fields. In adverse convection we find a transition from forward to backward bifurcation with increasing vertical (stabilizing) field. The stability analysis of roll solutions explains the experimentally observed transition between roll and square patterns for weak horizontal (destabilizing) fields. In a range of high vertical magnetic fields two steady convective modes with different wavelengths and symmetries become critical at nearly the same threshold giving rise to competition and resonant interaction. For the oscillatory instability in normal convection the nature of the bifurcation for both traveling and standing rolls is determined. Comparison with previous theories and with experiments is made wherever possible.

Using a simple averaging method we show that under plane oscillatory shear a net torque acts on the director of a nematic liquid crystal leading to unexpected flow alignment. Under quite general conditions the usual flow-alignment orientations are unstable, and the orientation parallel to the shear (perpendicular to the velocity) becomes most stable within the shear plane. The effect drops out exactly under (unrealistic) linear shear unless the director has a nontrivial space dependence. An explicit application to plane Poiseuille flow is presented. Preliminary experimental data are shown which demonstrate a transition under planar oscillatory shear from a homeotropically aligned nematic to a spatially homogeneously deformed state.

Abstract: The aims of this study were: (1) to find associations of asthma with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within theADRB2 gene: Arg16Gly, Gln27Glu, −1023 G/A, −367 T/C, −47 C/T ; (2) to define linkage disequilibrium in the gene region, basing on the analyzed SNPs; and (3) to analyze the importance ofADRB2 polymorphism for response to bronchodilator drugs in children diagnosed with bronchial asthma. We compared 113 asthmatic children and 123 healthy subjects from the Polish population. Genotyping was performed by PCR-RFLP. We found an association of the A allele of −1023A/GADRB2 polymorphism with asthma (P = 0.024). No significant associations with other SNPs were detected. Moderate linkage was found between Gln27Glu and −47C/T polymorphisms in linkage disequilibrium analysis (D’ = 0.85,r 2 = 0.429, LOD = 31.97). No significant differences were found in haplotype frequencies in comparison to the control group, implicating that they are not associated with susceptibility to asthma in the analyzed population. There was no significant correlation between the analyzed SNPs of theADRB2 gene and the response to β2-agonists. This is the first report providing suggestive evidence for association of —1023A/GADRB2 polymorphism with an increased risk of asthma. The analyzed SNPs may not play a major role in response to β2-agonists in asthmatic children.

Agricultural tillage influences runoff and infiltration, but consequent effects on watershed hydrology are poorly documented. This study evaluated 25 yr (1971–1995) hydrologic records from four first‐order watersheds in Iowa's loess hills. Two watersheds were under conventional tillage and two were under conservation (ridge) tillage, one of which was terraced. All four watersheds grew corn (Zea maysL.) every year. Flow‐frequency statistics and autoregressive modeling were used to determine how conservation treatments influenced stream hydrology. The autoregressive modeling characterized variations in discharge, baseflow, and runoff at multi‐year, annual, and shorter time scales. The ridge‐tilled watershed (nonterraced) had 47% less runoff and 36% more baseflow than the conventional watershed of similar landform and slope. Recovery of baseflow after drought was quicker in the conservation watersheds, as evidenced by 365‐d moving average plots, and 67% greater baseflow during the driest 2 yr. The two conventional watersheds were similar, except the steeper watershed discharged more runoff and baseflow during short (<30 d), wet periods. Significant multi‐year and annual cycles occurred in all variables. Under ridge‐till, seasonal (annual‐cycle) variations in baseflow had greater amplitude, showing the seasonality of subsurface contaminant movement could increase under conservation practices. However, deviations from the modeled cycles of baseflow were also more persistent under conservation practices, indicating baseflow was more stable. Indeed, flow‐frequency curves showed wet‐weather discharge decreased and dry‐weather discharge increased under conservation practices. Although mean discharge increased in the conservation watersheds, variance and skewness of daily values were smaller. Ridge tillage with or without terraces increased stream discharge but reduced its variability.

We present a detailed bifurcation analysis of the nonlinear reorientation dynamics of a homeotropically aligned nematic liquid-crystal film excited by an elliptically polarized beam at normal incidence with the intensity and the polarization state of light as the control parameters. The asymmetry arising from the elliptical polarization of the excitation lightwave is shown to affect dramatically the dynamics, and various new dynamical behaviors are reported: (i) quasi-periodic rotations for almost circular polarization; (ii) a discontinuous transition, identified as a homoclinic bifurcation, to a largely reoriented state over a large range of ellipticity values; (iii) oscillations associated with large reorientation; and (iv) optical multistability between several distinct dynamical regimes.

We present a detailed bifurcation analysis of the nonlinear reorientation dynamics of a homeotropically aligned nematic liquid-crystal film excited by a circularly polarized beam at normal incidence with the light intensity as the control parameter. The secondary bifurcation above the optical Fréedericksz transition threshold is identified as a supercritical Hopf bifurcation leading to quasi-periodicity, and the subsequent discontinuous transition from quasi-periodicity to periodicity at higher intensity is identified as a homoclinic bifurcation. The bifurcation scenario is compared with the one obtained in the case of an ordinary light wave at small oblique incidence. Despite an analogous sequence of transitions, there are substantial differences.

Abstract:This paper describes a multisource data integration method for creating a 28-class 1998 land-cover map of the state of Georgia. The methodology for creating the map is unique in both the number and the method of integrating data sources. An assessment of the map's accuracy in the metropolitan Atlanta region using color infrared digital ortho-quarter quads and a preliminary state-wide assessment using low altitude aerial videography is presented. We estimate the overall accuracy for the metropolitan Atlanta region to be 86.3% and the overall accuracy for the state-wide land-cover map to be 83.9%. We anticipate that this dataset will be useful in a wide range of mapping, modeling, and planning exercises across the state and in the Southeast.

Abstract. Intracellular bacteria in filarial nematodes were described as early as the 1970s, yet it was only with the work on Dirofilaria immitis, the agent of canine and feline heartworm disease, that these microorganisms were identified as belonging to Wolbachia, a genus known for encompassing bacteria infecting insects and other arthropods. The implications for the presence of intracellular bacteria in filarial nematodes is now the subject of intense research, particularly regarding their role in the immunology and pathogenesis of disease in infected humans and animals and as a possible target for therapy. Here, the authors report results on the immunohistochemical and immunogold staining of Wolbachia in D. immitis and Brugia pahangi using polyclonal antibodies raised against the recombinant Wolbachia surface protein (WSP). The bacteria were present in the lateral hypodermal chords of both male and female worms and in the reproductive tract of adult females (oocytes, morulae, microfilariae). In D. immitis and B. pahangi from animals treated with tetracycline, positive staining was observed in the lateral chords of adult males and females, but was absent from the oocytes and morulae. These results indicate that Wolbachia endosymbionts can be identified immunohistochemically with anti-WSP polyclonal antibodies, that their distribution matches that already described for Wolbachia of other filarial worms, and that antibiotic treatment may impede the vertical transmission of these bacteria. Unequivocal detection of Wolbachia is essential for the study of this symbiont, in particular to monitor the effects of antibiotic treatment on worms. The use of a specific marker for bacteria in their nematode hosts represents an extremely useful tool in evaluating the pathogenic role and the effect of antibiotic treatment on these potential targets in the control of filarial disease.

Aluminum alloy 2519 is the main structural alloy for the Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV). A potential drawback to the use of 2519, particularly for an amphibious vehicle, is its susceptibility to corrosion. General corrosion, which is largely in the form of pitting, may reduce the effective life of the system, while stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) of any high strength aluminum alloy can lead to catastrophic failure. Therefore, an evaluation of the SCC susceptibility of various 2519 product forms was performed. Plate, extrusions, ring roll forgings, and weldments all exhibited excellent SCC resistance as measured by a series of standard ASTM tests. Multi-axis hand forgings were the only product forms that exhibited SCC susceptibility, and this susceptibility was remedied via the use of a specifically designed heat treatment. While all product forms passed the prescribed SCC tests, each exhibited a significant reduction in strength after simultaneous exposure to both stress and the saline corrosion environment. Such behavior was not apparent when the exposure was limited to the corrosion media alone. That is, while resistant to SCC, the load-bearing capacities of all products tested are somewhat degraded during concurrent exposure to stress and corrosive media by a mechanism that includes pitting. This article will discuss the effort that was conducted by the National Center for Excellence in Metalworking Technology (NCEMT) to evaluate the SCC susceptibility of 2519 in various product forms and tempers.

Fulminant hepatic failure is a life-threatening clinical syndrome following severe hepatic injury leading to cerebral edema and brainstem herniation. Excessive mortality can be currently reduced only by timely orthotopic liver transplantation. Due to the shortage of donor organs, a considerable proportion of patients develop irreversible neurological damage, multiorgan failure or death while waiting for transplantation. Consequently, alternatives to orthotopic liver transplantation and methods of stabilizing patients on the waiting list including extracorporeal detoxification treatment are currently investigated. Recent advances in the pathophysiology of cerebral edema have challenged some of the traditional assumptions on which many blood detoxification systems are based. This article aims to integrate pathophysiology of hepatic encephalopathy and cerebral edema into a proposed future concept of liver support.

In cirrhotic patients, plasma amino acid levels are severely deranged. A decreased ratio of branched-chain to aromatic amino acids (Fischer ratio) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. In this prospective study, we investigated the effects of extracorporeal detoxification on amino acid levels using a sorbent suspension dialysis system. Twenty patients with documented cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy grade II-III not responding to standard treatment were randomized to receive either six hours of sorbent dialysis and standardized conventional medical treatment or ongoing medical treatment alone. In contrast to previous uncontrolled studies, no significant effect on amino acid levels, Fischer ratio or clinical grade of hepatic encephalopathy was detected in either treatment group. In conclusion, a 6-hour treatment with sorbent dialysis did not significantly influence plasma levels of amino acids and did not ameliorate the clinical grade of hepatic encephalopathy.

Serum bilirubin levels are commonly used to assess extracorporeal detoxification by liver support systems. We tested the hypothesis that intravenous colloids administered before liver support treatment could confound bilirubin values. Eight cirrhotic patients received an infusion of a 6% hydroxy ethyl starch solution (10 ml/kg, 30 minutes) before detoxification using a liver support system (FPSA). Bilirubin was measured before and 1 hour after infusion, and after FPSA treatment (7 hours). Infusion of hydroxy ethyl starch was associated with a drop in bilirubin values (mean, 18%, range, 1–44%, p=0.03 versus baseline values). Bilirubin levels were further reduced during FPSA treatment (mean, 27%, range, 22–34%; p=0.02 versus pre-treatment values). In conclusion, hydroxy ethyl starch solution may decrease bilirubin levels in hyperbilirubinemic cirrhotic patients receiving extracorporeal detoxification. The role of potentially confounding factors in liver support studies is discussed further.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oxcarbazepine (OXC) as monotherapy for patients with uncontrolled partial seizures.

Whole blood flow cytometry was performed among donors with various clinical forms of coccidioidomycosis using T27K, a coccidioidal antigen preparation protective in mice but not previously studied in humans. The median percent of CD3+ lymphocytes (CD3+) producing intracellular interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) among healthy immune donors was 0·43%, significantly above that for non-immune donors (0·01%) and greater than that for subjects with other forms of coccidioidomycosis, including chronic pulmonary (0·11%), disseminated (0·09%) and concomitant human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (0·07%) (P0·002 for all). No increase in intracellular interleukin (IL)-10 production or apoptosis was noted in samples incubated with T27K. Among 14 HIV-infected patients with concomitant coccidioidomycosis, seven of eight patients whose peripheral blood CD4 concentration was >200 cells l-1had >0·06% of CD3+ produce intracellular IFN-γ, compared to none of six whose peripheral blood CD4+ lymphocyte concentration was 200 cells l-1(P= 0·005). These data indicate that there is a specific human cellular immune response to T27K as a coccidioidal antigen and that this response can be categorized based on the clinical status of the coccidioidally infected patient.

AbstractWe report experimental and theoretical results on the flexoelectric instability and crossover between flexoelectric domains and electroconvection in a hybrid aligned nematic MBBA under d.c. voltage. At threshold a spatially periodic flexoelectric deformation in the form of longitudinal domains (along the planar director) was observed. With increasing voltage the director deviation out of the initial plane becomes clearly detectable. Observations of tracers show that hydrodynamic flow develops inside the flexoelectric stripe pattern in the form of circular orbits perpendicular to the domain stripes. With further increasing d.c. voltage electroconvection sets in in the form of drifting oblique rolls inside the flexoelectric domains.

AbstractIn the last years the understanding of electroconvection in nematics in the nonlinear regime has benefitted considerably from the use of reduced descriptions that can be obtained largely from a phenomenological approach. Close connection with hydrodynamic theory and experiments is essential.

To investigate the role of extracorporeal detoxification in cirrhotic patients with advanced hepatic encephalopathy not responding to medical treatment, 20 patients were randomized to receive six hours of additional sorbent dialysis or ongoing standardized medical treatment. Following treatment, the clinical stage of encephalopathy remained unchanged in both groups. Abnormal sensory evoked potentials improved following sorbent dialysis (N70 latency, 128 ms before versus 110 ms after treatment, P<0,05; cervico-cranial transmission, 7.7 ms versus 6.8 ms, P<0.01) indicating improvement in important aspects of cerebral function. In contrast, brain function remained unchanged following medical treatment (N70 latency, 114 ms versus 113 ms; cervico-cranial transmission, 7.7 ms versus 7.2 ms, P=NS, respectively). Serum benzodiazepine levels decreased significantly after sorbent dialysis but not after medical treatment. Biocompatibility of sorbent dialysis was limited and clinical complications occurred in a proportion of patients. In conclusion, a six-hour treatment with sorbent suspension dialysis did not ameliorate the clinical stage of HE but improved neurophysiologic function in cirrhotic patients who had not responded to conventional medical treatment.

All flag-homogeneous compact connected polygons are classified explicitly. It turns out that these polygons are precisely the compact connected Moufang polygons.

Hypothermic and normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) have resulted in apparently contradictionary cardiac and neurologic outcome. Cerebrovascular risk and cognitive dysfunction associated with normothermic CPB still remain uncertain.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of oxcarbazepine (OXC) 2,400 mg/day versus OXC 300 mg/day monotherapy in patients with medically refractory partial epilepsy.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of oxcarbazepine (OXC) as adjunctive therapy in children with inadequately controlled partial seizures on one or two concomitant antiepileptic drugs (AEDs).

Abstract: Acute CT/MRI findings were examined in a prospective, longitudinal study of 60 children 0–6 years of age hospitalized for moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI was categorized as either inflicted (n=31) or noninflicted (n=29). Glasgow Coma Scale scores and perinatal history were comparable in both groups. Acute CT/MRI studies were visually inspected by a radiologist blind to group membership. Compared with the noninflicted TBI group, the inflicted TBI group had significantly elevated rates of subdural interhemispheric and convexity hemorrhages as well as signs of pre-existing brain abnormality, including cerebral atrophy, subdural hygroma, and ex vacuo ventriculomegaly. Intraparenchymal hemorrhage, shear injury, and skull fractures were more frequent after noninflicted TBI. Subarachnoid hemorrhage and infarct/edema occurred with comparable frequency in both groups. Characteristic acute neuroimaging findings of inflicted TBI included multiple extraaxial hemorrhages in addition to the mild atrophy, subdural hygromas, and ventriculomegaly that suggest prior brain abnormality.

En France, une Autorisation d’Utilisation Temporaire de cohorte (ATUc) a été délivrée le 27/02/2021 pour l’utilisation du bamlanivimab en monothérapie dans le traitement précoce (<5jours du début des symptômes) de patients adultes avec un COVID-19 léger à modéré confirmé par PCR et à haut risque d’évolution vers une forme sévère. Les patients concernés étaient les patients de >80 ans ou les patients de <80 ans immunodéprimés (transplantation, chimiothérapie, traitement immunosuppresseur). Le risque d’émergence de variants potentiellement résistants à un monothérapie par anticorps monoclonal anti-Spike, en particulier les variants E484K, avait été pris en compte lors de l’ATUc. Cependant, le bénéfice potentiel de ces traitements chez les patients à haut risque a été considéré comme supérieur au risque. Ici nous décrivons 6 patients ayant reçu de ce traitement, leur évolution et l’émergence de mutations de résistance sous pression de sélection.

AbstractWe consider planarly oriented nematic liquid crystal subjected to plane, rectilinear, oscillatory Couette or Poiseuille flow in the case, when the director is initially perpendicular to the flow plane. Using the Galerkin method we found the critical amplitude of the flow at which the homogeneous instability develops. The analytical approximations for the frequency dependence of the critical amplitude for different types of flow are obtained. The results are compared with experimental data.

The Erosion Productivity Impact Calculator (EPIC) model was validated using long‐term data collected for two southwest Iowa watersheds in the Deep Loess Soil Region, which have been cropped in continuous corn (Zea maysL.) under two different tillage systems (conventional tillage vs. ridge‐till). The annual hydrologic balance was calibrated for both watersheds during 1988 to 1994 by adjusting the runoff curve numbers and residue effects on soil evaporation. Model validation was performed for 1976 to 1987, using both summary statistics (means or medians) and parametric and nonparametric statistical tests. The errors between the 12‐yr predicted and observed means or medians were <10% for nearly all of the hydrologic and environmental indicators, with the major exception of a nearly 44% overprediction of the N surface runoff loss for Watershed 2. The predicted N leaching rates, N losses in surface runoff, and sediment loss for the two watersheds clearly showed that EPIC was able to simulate the long‐term impacts of tillage and residue cover on these processes. However, the results also revealed weaknesses in the model's ability to replicate year‐to‐year variability, with r2values generally <50% and relatively weak goodness‐of‐fit statistics for some processes. This was due in part to simulating the watersheds in a homogeneous manner, which ignored complexities such as slope variation. Overall, the results show that EPIC was able to replicate the long‐term relative differences between the two tillage systems and that the model is a useful tool for simulating different tillage systems in the region.

We show how the field of definitionkof ak-isotropic absolutely almost simplek-groupG“lives” in the groupG(k) ofk-rational points. The construction which is inspired by the fundamental work of Borel-Tits is as follows: We choose an element inside the center of the unipotent radical of a minimal parabolick-subgroupP; the orbit under the action of the centerZof a Levik-subgroup ofPgenerates a one-dimensional vector space which then carries the additive field structure in a natural way. The multiplicative structure is induced by the action ofZ. IfGisk-simple, our construction yields a finite extensionlofk.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oxcarbazepine in a placebo-control trial.

beta(2)-Adrenergic receptors (beta(2)AR) act to relax airway smooth muscle and can serve to counteract hyperresponsiveness, although the effect may not be ablative even in the presence of exogenous agonist. Within this signaling cascade that ultimately transduces smooth muscle relaxation, a significant "spare receptor" pool has been hypothesized to be present in the airway. In order to modify the relationship between beta(2)AR and downstream effectors, transgenic mice (TG) were created overexpressing beta(2)AR approximately 75-fold in airway smooth muscle using a mouse smooth muscle alpha-actin promoter. While >90% of these receptors were expressed on the smooth muscle cell surface, the percentage of receptors able to form the agonist-promoted high affinity complex was less than that found with nontransgenic (NTG) cells (R(H) = 18 versus 36%). Nevertheless, beta(2)AR signaling was found to be enhanced. Intact airway smooth muscle cells from TG had basal cAMP levels that were greater than NTG cells. A marked increase in agonist-stimulated cAMP levels was found in the TG ( approximately 200% stimulation over basal) compared with NTG ( approximately 50% over basal) cells. Adenylyl cyclase studies gave similar results and also showed a 10-fold lower EC(50) for TG cells. Tracheal rings from TG mice that were precontracted with acetylcholine had an enhanced responsiveness (relaxation) to beta-agonist, with a 60-fold decrease in the ED(50), indicating that the enhanced signaling imposed by overexpression results in an increase in the coordinated function of the intact airway cells. In vivo studies showed a significantly blunted airway resistance response to the inhaled bronchoconstrictor methacholine in the TG mice. Indeed, with beta-agonist pretreatment, the TG mice displayed no response whatsoever to methacholine. These results are consistent with beta(2)AR being the limiting factor in the transduction system. Increases in the initial component of this transduction system (the beta(2)AR) are sufficient to markedly alter signaling and airway smooth muscle function to the extent that bronchial hyperresponsiveness is ablated, consistent with an anti-asthma phenotype.

Owing to recent advances in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, the role of obstetric MR imaging has increased in cases in which the results of ultrasonography are equivocal. Fast MR imaging sequences, such as T2-weighted fast spin-echo (SE), half-Fourier single-shot fast SE, 0.5-signal-acquired single-shot fast SE, and echo-planar imaging, have virtually eliminated the need for fetal premedication, with a concomitant improvement in image resolution and diminished blurring. Artifacts related to maternal respiratory motion and fetal motion no longer limit the anatomic detail that can be demonstrated with MR imaging. With such advances in obstetric MR imaging, knowledge of normal fetal anatomy at MR imaging is essential to detect disease in utero. MR imaging can demonstrate fetal anatomy in detail, especially the brain, thorax, abdomen, pelvis, and vasculature. Major developmental structures of the fetus, particularly the cranial nervous system, naso- and oropharynx, lungs, and major abdominal viscera, can be adequately evaluated with targeted fast MR imaging as early as the beginning of the second trimester. However, MR imaging of the heart remains limited. Fetal MR imaging during the first trimester remains controversial secondary to biosafety issues and is limited due to diminutive fetal size.

Profiles Nebraska's former governor and freshman Democratic Senator Bob Kerrey, 48, who's running for President of the United States. Kerrey is a Vietnam veteran who co-owns several Nebraska restaurants and health clubs. Background; Personal life; Politics; Unconventionality.