Search

In human heart failure and in murine hearts with left-ventricular pressure overload (LVPO), increases in fibrosis are associated with increases in myocardial stiffness. Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is shown to be necessary for both cardiac fibrosis and increases in myocardial stiffness in response to LVPO; however, cellular sources of cardiac SPARC are incompletely defined. Irradiation and bone marrow transfer were undertaken to test the hypothesis that SPARC expression by bone marrow-derived cells is an important mediator of fibrosis in LVPO. In recipient SPARC-null mice transplanted with donor wild-type (WT) bone marrow and subjected to LVPO, levels of fibrosis similar to that of WT mice were found despite the lack of SPARC expression by resident cells. In recipient WT mice with donor SPARC-null bone marrow, significantly less fibrosis versus that of WT mice was found despite the expression of SPARC by resident cells. Increases in myocardial stiffness followed a similar pattern to that of collagen deposition. Myocardial macrophages were significantly reduced in SPARC-null mice with LVPO versus that of WT mice. Recipient SPARC-null mice transplanted with donor WT bone marrow exhibited an increase in cardiac macrophages versus that of SPARC-null LVPO and donor WT mice with recipient SPARC-null bone marrow. Expression of vascular cellular adhesion molecule (VCAM), a previously identified binding partner of SPARC, was assessed in all groups and with the exception of WT mice, increases in VCAM immunoreactivity with LVPO were observed. However, no differences in VCAM expression between bone marrow transplant groups were noted. In conclusion, SPARC expression by bone marrow-derived cells was critical for fibrotic deposition of collagen and influenced the expansion of myocardial macrophages in response to LVPO. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Myocardial fibrosis and the resultant increases in LV and myocardial stiffness represent pivotal consequences of chronic pressure overload (PO). In this study, a murine model of cardiac fibrosis induced by PO was used to demonstrate a critical function of SPARC in bone marrow-derived cells that drives cardiac fibrosis and increases in cardiac macrophages.

The importance of understanding factors that contribute to surface wettability is highlighted in this new organic chemistry laboratory experiment, which aims to introduce the application of organic chemistry at the interface of polymer chemistry and material science. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a hydrophobic silicon-based rubber, is polymerized and molded onto templates of varying roughnesses and textures to introduce topology that changes surface hydrophilicity. The topological changes are assessed through optical microscopy imaging, and the wettability is analyzed by measuring the contact angle using an inexpensive digital camera. The molds are treated with boiling water which generates hydroxyl groups on the surface. Successful chemical modification of the polymer surface is confirmed using attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) analysis, and wettability is assessed through contact angle measurement. Postlab questions focus on the wettability of the physically and chemically modified surfaces and their potential use as scaffolding for tissue engineering. This adaptable experiment is designed to reinforce concepts such as intermolecular forces, introduce polymer structure and synthesis, showcase polymer applications in biological research, and provide an introduction to surface wettability in a visually interesting manner.

We performed a retrospective cohort study in order to examine recent trends in use of post-partum treatments and in-hospital mortality for congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Included were infants with CDH, born in 2003 to 2012 and hospitalized at ⩽7 days of age at one of 33 United States tertiary referral children’s hospitals with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) programs. In-hospital mortality as well as use of ECMO, surfactant and a variety of vasodilators were examined for trends during the study period. Inclusion criteria were met by 3123 infants with CDH. Among 2423 term or near-term infants, odds of death decreased annually for those with isolated or complex CDH. For 700 premature or low-birth weight infants with CDH, in-hospital mortality did not change. Among treatments for CDH, increasing with time in the study cohort were use of milrinone and sildenafil individually, and use of multiple vasodilators during the hospitalization. Survival improved in large subgroups of term or near-term infants with CDH in this 10-year multicenter cohort, temporally associated with increasing use of multiple vasodilators. Use of vasodilators for infants with CDH is increasing despite a lack of evidence supporting efficacy or safety. Prospective research is needed to clarify specific causal effects contributing to improving survival in these infants.

Muscle atrophy can result from inactivity or unloading on one hand or the induction of a catabolic state on the other. Muscle-specific ring finger 1 (MuRF1), a member of the tripartite motif family of E3 ubiquitin ligases, is an essential mediator of multiple conditions inducing muscle atrophy. While most studies have focused on the role of MuRF1 in protein degradation, the protein may have other roles in regulating skeletal muscle mass and metabolism. We therefore systematically evaluated the effect of MuRF1 on gene expression during denervation and dexamethasone-induced atrophy. We find that the lack of MuRF1 leads to few differences in control animals, but there were several significant differences in specific sets of genes upon denervation- and dexamethasone-induced atrophy. For example, during denervation, MuRF1 knockout mice showed delayed repression of metabolic and structural genes and blunted induction of genes associated with the neuromuscular junction. In the latter case, this pattern correlates with blunted HDAC4 and myogenin upregulation. Lack of MuRF1 caused fewer changes in the dexamethasone-induced atrophy program, but certain genes involved in fat metabolism and intracellular signaling were affected. Our results demonstrate a new role for MuRF1 in influencing gene expression in two important models of muscle atrophy.

Background Thymoglobulin is a T-cell-depleting polyclonal rabbit anti-human thymocyte antibody used clinically for immunosuppression in solid organ and hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. By using a surrogate rabbit anti-mouse thymocyte globulin (mATG), we previously demonstrated that murine regulatory and memory T cells are preferentially spared from mATG depletion in vivo. The current studies were designed to determine whether different effector mechanisms are involved in differential depletion of T-cell subsets by mATG. Methods Complement-dependent cytotoxicity, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and apoptotic mechanisms of depletion by mATG were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Results In vitro, there was evidence of differential susceptibility of T-cell subsets by different effector mechanisms where naive and CD4 effector memory T cells show reduced susceptibility to apoptosis, whereas regulatory T cells are less susceptible to mATG-mediated complement-dependent cytotoxicity and ADCC. However, mATG treatment of mice depleted of ADCC effector cell types (neutrophils, natural killer cells, or macrophages) or deficient in complement C5 or Fas demonstrated that mATG depletion of all T-cell subsets is mediated primarily by macrophages and that the role of neutrophils, natural killer cells, and complement is minimal in vivo. Interestingly, the Fas/FasL pathway does play a role in regulatory T-cell depletion, which is likely a result of increased basal expression of Fas on these cells. Conclusions These data suggest that macrophages deplete most T cells by mATG in mice, but regulatory T cells are also uniquely susceptible to mATG-mediated Fas-dependent depletion.

In this paper we present a newly developed one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation code and use it to determine the shock evolution in flyer plate impact experiments. The code is Lagrangian with artificial viscosity and uses shock Hugoniot data in its equation-of-state calculations instead of SESAME data tables. First shock calculations for transparent targets show a good agreement with theoretical predictions, making the code suitable for designing future flyer impact experiments at the Nevada Terawatt Facility.

Sheared flows have been predicted to stabilize the kink instability that disrupts the Z-pinch. Experiments conducted at the Nevada Terawatt Facility used conical wire arrays with the addition of a wire on axis to create a sheared flow. Multiframe laser images and time integrated pinhole images suggest that the sheared flow generated in this configuration is sufficient to suppress the kink instability.

The interaction which occurs between a plasma and an externally applied magnetic field is an important process in natural and laboratory plasmas. In experiments performed at the Nevada Terawatt Facility, a plasma flow was created by ablating a polyethylene target with a high-intensity laser (10 J in 1 ps, 10 TW). This laser-produced plasma interacted with an azimuthal magnetic field produced by passing a 0.6 MA (200 ns rise time) current through a straight cylindrical electrode. In the experiment, the plasma was observed to penetrate the magnetic field. The penetration is due to E × B drift caused by the polarization of the plasma plume.

Scaled experiments studying the interaction of shock waves with inhomogeneous background media are essential for understanding many astrophysical phenomena, since they can be used to test analytical theories and simulation codes. We are currently developing such experiments at the Nevada Terawatt Facility. We are using a pulsed power generator (1 MA peak current) to accelerate thin aluminum flyer plates. By impacting these foils on low-density foam targets, we will be able to carry out scaled experiments. We have demonstrated velocities of up to 8 km/s for 50 μm thick aluminum flyers, and are planning to further increase the flyer velocities. We have also carried out first impact tests with transparent polycarbonate targets. Several improvements for our setup are currently in planning, and these improvements will enable us to design scaled experiments for our facility.

Pattern matching, or querying, over annotations is a general purpose paradigm for inspecting, navigating, mining, and transforming annotation repositories—the common representation basis for modern pipelined text processing architectures. The open-ended nature of these architectures and expressiveness of feature structure-based annotation schemes account for the natural tendency of such annotation repositories to become very dense, as multiple levels of analysis get encoded as layered annotations. This particular characteristic presents challenges for the design of a pattern matching framework capable of interpreting ‘flat’ patterns over arbitrarily dense annotation lattices. We present an approach where a finite state device applies (compiled) pattern grammars over what is, in effect, a linearized ‘projection’ of a particular route through the lattice. The route is derived by a mix of static grammar analysis and runtime interpretation of navigational directives within an extended grammar formalism; it selects just the annotations sequence appropriate for the patterns at hand. For expressive and efficient pattern matching in dense annotations stores, our implemented approach achieves a mix of lattice traversal and finite state scanning by exposing a language which, to its user, provides constructs for specifying sequential, structural, and configurational constraints among annotations.

Experiments were performed at the Nevada Terawatt Facility to investigate the plasma penetration across an externally applied magnetic field. In experiment, a short-pulse laser ablates a polyethylene laser target, producing a plasma which interacts with an external magnetic field. The mechanism which allows the plasma to penetrate the applied magnetic field in experiment will be discussed.

Many astrophysical phenomena involve the interaction of a shock wave with an inhomogeneous background medium. Using scaled experiments with inhomogeneous foam targets makes it possible to study relevant physics in the laboratory to better understand the mechanisms of shock compression and to benchmark astrophysical simulation codes. First experiments on Zebra at the Nevada Terawatt Facility (NTF) have demonstrated flyer acceleration to sufficiently high velocities (up to 5 km/s) and that laser shadowgraphy can image sound fronts in transparent targets. Based on this, we designed an optimized setup to improve the flyer parameters (higher speed and mass) to create shock waves in transparent media. Once x-ray backlighting with the Leopard laser at NTF is operational, we will switch to foam targets with parameters relevant for laboratory astrophysics.

Several experiments at the Nevada Terawatt Facility (NTF) study the interaction of laser-created plasmas with large external magnetic fields. Examples include a ldquosolar windrdquo experiment that studies the development of a shock when an ablation plasma flow interacts with a strong magnetic field, and an isochoric heating experiment, in which the effect of a confining external magnetic field on target heating will be investigated. The plasmas can be created with one of our two multiterawatt laser systems, namely, Tomcat (up to 10 TW) and Leopard (up to 100 TW). Analyzing the experiments requires a thorough understanding of the initial conditions of the laser plasma. The measurements performed with Faraday cups yield the hot-electron temperature, which is characteristic for electrons that directly absorb the laser energy. Energy spectrum measurements have been carried out with Tomcat pulses (1057 nm) with up to 4-J pulse energy and 4 ps/1 ps duration. For an optimized focal spot size, a hot-electron temperature of more than 2.6 keV was measured, which is consistent with a laser intensity between 1015 and 1016 W/cm2.

In elderly patients oxybutynin (Sigma-Aldrich) is commonly used to treat overactive bladder despite increased prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in this population. We determined whether oxybutynin altered plaque formation, amyloid beta peptide expression and behavior in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease expressing the mutant human presenilin 1 (deltaE9) and a chimeric mouse/human amyloid precursor protein (APPswe).Mice were treated for 30 days in an acute experiment or 5 months in a chronic experiment with oxybutynin (30 mg/kg) or vehicle. Behavioral testing was performed monthly with the elevated plus maze (Med Associates, St. Albans, Vermont) in the chronic experiment. Brains were tested for plaque burden using Hirano silver and thioflavin-S (Sigma-Aldrich) staining. Amyloid beta peptide expression was tested using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for amyloid beta peptides 1-40 and 1-42.Animals treated with chronic oxybutynin had a decreased plaque burden in the hippocampus (mean +/- SEM 2.2 +/- 0.4 vs 4.1 +/- 0.9 plaques, p0.05) and cortex (5.8 +/- 0.7 vs 11.6 +/- 2.1, p0.05) compared to animals treated with vehicle. Oxybutynin treated animals also had decreased expression of amyloid beta 1-42 (82.8 +/- 9.0 etag/ml vs 105.6 +/- 5.5 etag/ml, p = 0.05) compared to animals treated with vehicle. Female Alzheimer's disease mice treated with oxybutynin but not males showed improved behavior with a greater percent of time spent in the closed arm or elevated plus maze (95.9% +/- 1.6% vs 35.6% +/- 18.9%, p0.05). The greatest difference was noted at 3 months of treatment compared to vehicle.These results suggest that oxybutynin may slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease in this model.

This paper describes a novel approach to multi-document summarization, which explicitly addresses the problem of detecting, and retaining for the summary, multiple themes in document collections. We place equal emphasis on the processes of theme identification and theme presentation. For the former, we apply Iterative Residual Rescaling (IRR); for the latter, we argue for graphical display elements. IRR is an algorithm designed to account for correlations between words and to construct multi-dimensional topical space indicative of relationships among linguistic objects (documents, phrases, and sentences). Summaries are composed of objects with certain properties, derived by exploiting the many-to-many relationships in such a space. Given their inherent complexity, our multi-faceted summaries benefit from a visualization environment. We discuss some essential features of such an environment.

High-current discharge channels are ideally suited for the focusing and transport of intense charged particle beams. The azimuthal magnetic field provides a strong focusing force, which acts symmetrically towards the discharge axis. A sufficiently dense and hot plasma can also neutralize the beam current and space charge of very intense ion beams, relevant to a number of future applications. In this paper we present experiments on high-current discharge channels designed for the transport of heavy ion beams. A spectroscopic method is introduced, which allows us to determine both the plasma temperature and density in hydrogen–nitrogen plasmas, from comparisons of the measurements with computer calculations. The temperature is derived from a comparison of experimentally obtained relative nitrogen-line intensities with a collisional radiative rate modelling of the nitrogen plasma. The electron density is determined by a detailed line shape analysis of the Stark-broadened hydrogen Balmer lines.

Ion-beam transport in space charge neutralizing discharge channels has been proposed for the final focus and chamber transport in a heavy-ion fusion reactor. A driver scenario with two-sided target illumination requires a system of two intersecting discharges to transport beams of the same charge from opposite sides towards the fusion target. In this article we report on experiments on the creation of free-standing, intersecting high-current discharge channels. The discharges are initiated in ammonia gas (NH3) in a metallic chamber by two perpendicular CO2-laser beams, which resonantly heat and subsequently rarefy the gas along the laser paths before the breakdown. These low density channels guide the discharges along the predefined paths and also around the 90° angles without any mechanical guiding structures. In this way stable X-, T-, and L-shaped discharges with currents in excess of 40 kA, at pressures of a few mbar were created with a total length of 110 cm. An 11.4 A MeV 58Ni+12 beam from the UNILA...

The aim of the presented experiments is to study the transport of a heavy ion beam in a high-current plasma channel. The discharge is initiated in NH3 gas at pressures between 2 and 20 mbar by a line-tuned CO2 laser. A stable discharge over the entire electrode gap (0.5 m) was achieved for currents up to 60 kA. Concerning the ion beam transport, the magnetic field distribution inside the plasma channel has to be known. The ion-optical properties of the plasma channel have been investigated using different species of heavy ions (C, Ni, Au, U) with 11.4 MeV/u during six runs at the Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschungs-UNILAC linear accelerator. The high magnetic field allowed the accomplishment of one complete betatron oscillation along the discharge channel. The results obtained up to now are very promising and suggest that, by scaling the discharge gap to longer distances, the beam transport over several meters is possible with negligible losses.

PURPOSE The new volatile anaesthetic agent desflurane has a significantly lower blood-gas partition coefficient (0.42) than isoflurane (1.4), suggesting excellent intraoperative control of anaesthesia and rapid emergence and recovery from anaesthesia. However, only limited experience is available in geriatric patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. METHODS After approval by the local ethics committee and with written informed consent, 52 patients (> or = 65 years old, ASA class II or III) scheduled for major abdominal surgery were randomised to receive either desflurane (DES) or isoflurane (ISO) for maintenance of anaesthesia. After oral premedication with midazolam 3.75-7.5 mg, anaesthesia was induced with etomidate 0.2-0.3 mg/kg and fentanyl 3 micrograms/kg. Vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg provided muscle relaxation for endotracheal intubation. All patients were mechanically ventilated to maintain normocapnia. For maintenance of anaesthesia, DES or ISO was administered in 60% N2O and additional boluses of fentanyl and vecuronium were given as required. At the end of surgery, the neuromuscular blockade was reversed with neostigmine 0.02 mg/kg and DES or ISO was discontinued at the end of skin closure. Episodes of bradycardia and tachycardia and hypo- and hypertension, the time from the end of anaesthesia to extubation, opening eyes, squeezing hand, stating name and birthdate and to discharge from the recovery room were recorded. Until 360 minutes after the end of anaesthesia, the recovery of psychomotor functions was measured by means of simple reaction time tests, critical flicker fusion test, labyrinth test, ball bearing test, short and long-term memory test and digit symbol substitution test. The patient's well-being was documented with scores for pain, sedation and postoperative nausea and vomiting. RESULTS Demographic data in both groups was similar (Tab. 1). Anaesthesia was significantly prolonged in the ISO group. No significant differences between groups were found for MAC hours and the total dose of fentanyl and vecuronium administered (Tab. 3). Intraoperative haemodynamics were comparable between both groups (Tab. 4). No episodes of increases in heart rate or blood pressure associated with rapid increases in DES concentration were seen. Early emergence parameters were faster in the DES group (Tab. 5). When compared to ISO, the overall test performance and testing ability was superior following DES. Psychomotor tests showed significantly better results up to 240 minutes after the end of DES anaesthesia (Tab. 7, Fig. 4). Comparing the postoperative well-being, there were mild advantages for DES (Tab. 6, Fig. 1, 2, 3). However, time to discharge of geriatric patients from the recovery room was significantly shorter in the DES group (median 171 vs. 215 min., p < 0.05). CONCLUSION Using a balanced anaesthesia technique, we found desflurane as suitable as isoflurane for geriatric patients. Additionally, due to the fast emergence from anaesthesia, an improved cooperativity was found. In the DES group overall better postoperative psychomotor performance resulted in a shortening of discharge times from the recovery room. Hence, desflurane anaesthesia may be advantageous in geriatric patients.

High current discharge channels are a promising option for the final stage of beam transport in a heavy ion fusion reactor. The creation and the properties of the channel are studied at the Gesellschaft fuer Schwerionenforschung accelerator facility. This article discusses a diagnostic technique to determine the neutral gas density channel created by a laser in a neutral gas. The concept is to measure the spreading of an ion beamlet due to collisional scattering with the gas, and thereby deduce the average line-integrated gas density. The results show a density reduction near the axis, which compares favorably with one-dimensional code calculations.

Introduction et but de l’etude Le syndrome de l’intestin irritable (SII) est un trouble digestif chronique sans atteinte organique avec une prevalence universelle chiffree entre 5 et 15 %. La chronicite et une etiopathogenese meconnue actuellement conduisent a de nombreuses prises en charge medicales. L’approche FODMAP (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharide, Monosaccharide And Polyols), soit une alimentation reduite en hydrates de carbone a chaine courte rapidement fermentescibles, est l’un des traitements emergeant du SII. Des donnees quant a l’efficacite de cette approche FODMAP en Suisse n’avaient encore jamais ete recoltees. Le but de cette etude pilote etait d’evaluer l’efficacite de l’approche FODMAP chez des patients adultes vivant en Suisse souffrant du SII. Materiel et methodes Vingt dossiers patient, selectionnes retrospectivement sur la base de patients diagnostiques du SII, ont ete inclus dans notre etude pilote. Les patients, hommes et femmes confondus, presentant les criteres suivants ont ete inclus: adultes, adresses par un gastroenterologue et correspondant aux criteres de Rome III. Ils ont suivi l’approche FODMAP, soit une premiere phase (P 0 ) de reduction de l’apport en FODMAP, une deuxieme phase (P 1 ) de reintroduction des FODMAP puis une troisieme phase (P 2 ) au cours de la reintroduction. Ces trois consultations dietetiques ont ete menees par une dieteticienne diplomee HES. A chaque consultation dietetique, les patients ont repondu a des questions permettant d’evaluer des symptomes gastro-intestinaux et la qualite de vie. L’evolution symptomatologique a ete calculee au moyen du test du signe de Wilcoxon et du test de McNemar. Une difference de la symptomatologie entre les trois consultations dietetiques a ete consideree comme statistiquement significative avec une p-valeur ≤ 0,05. Resultats et Analyse statistique L’echantillon etait compose majoritairement de femmes (85 %), d’un âge moyen de 42 ans. Seuls les sous-groupes du SII de type diarrhee (30 %) et mixte (70 %) etaient representes. Une regression significative de la symptomatologie globale (p =0,0008) a ete demontree chez 68 % de notre echantillon entre P 0 et P 2 . La majorite des symptomes gastrointestinaux, dont la frequence des douleurs abdominales (p =0,0002), les ballonnements (p =0,0002), les flatulences (p =0,0005), les borborygmes (p =0,0064) et le besoin urgent d’aller a selle (p =0,026) ont diminue. Au total, 55 % des patients de notre echantillon ont note une satisfaction generale suite a l’approche FODMAP. Conclusion Cette etude pilote atteste l’efficacite de l’approche FODMAP dans le traitement de la symptomatologie chez des patients souffrant du SII en Suisse. Elle correspond aux resultats des etudes precedentes. Le/la dieteticien/ne a un role-cle dans la prise en charge des patients souffrant du SII, notamment dans la mise en pratique quotidienne de l’approche FODMAP. D’autres etudes sont encore necessaires pour evaluer l’efficacite de l’approche FODMAP sur le long terme.

The aim of the study was to compare recovery characteristics in adult patients following general anaesthesia either with the new investigational volatile agent sevoflurane or with propofol. Accordingly, two groups of 25 adults undergoing outpatient surgery were entered into a prospective, randomised study. Patients who received sevoflurane were extubated at an earlier stage than those receiving propofol (6.6 vs. 9.8 min), and the times to eye opening (7.2 vs. 12.6 min) and hand squeezing (8.2 vs 13.8 min) were also shorter. As measured by the digit-symbol substitution test, patients regained the pre-operative level of cognitive function significantly earlier after sevoflurane anaesthesia. Modified Aldrete scores were also higher in this group within the first hour after anaesthesia than in the propofol group. Sevoflurane appears to be a useful alternative to propofol in outpatient anaesthesia.

Experiments at the Gesellschaft fur Schwerionenforschung study the transport of heavy-ion beams in plasma channels in collaboration with the Advanced Reactor Innovative Engineering Study for Inertial Fusion Energy. One important aspect of channel transport is the suppression of instabilities. The susceptibility of discharge channels for magnetohydrodynamic instabilities is studied and their growth rate is measured with a fast framing camera. The images are analyzed with a computer code, determining the growth rates of the instability during later stages of the discharge. Magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) instabilities were observed only for high pressure and even then only at late stages of the discharge. The only observed MHD modes were kink instabilities and our measurements indicate that they pose no problem for transport channels with reactor parameters.

The development of subclinical DIC in a patient with factor IX hemophilia receiving concentrate replacement therapy during surgery is discussed with respect to pertinent laboratory features. Subsequent thromboembolic phenomena are presented in the context of current literature. Of significance is the failure of heparin given with the factor IX concentrate to prevent DIC. The value of adequate laboratory monitoring during therapy is stressed.

Phthalate ester plasticizers, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBF), were measured in the atmosphere of the Gulf of Mexico. Significant amounts of the phthalate esters were found both in the vapor phase and associated with particulate matter. PCB and DDT residues measured on the same samples were found primarily in the vapor phase. The levels of the phthalate esters and chlorinated compounds are one to two orders of magnitude lower than those reported for continental and urban air.

To compare the erythropoietic effects of nandrolone decanoate, testosterone enanthate, oxymetholone, and fluoxymesterone, we performed a randomized clinical trial in patients with anemia who were receiving maintenance hemodialysis (the women were not given testosterone enanthate). After a control period of at least two months, patients received one of the drugs for six months and then returned to control status; a second and third drug were administered in a similar fashion. Seventy-seven patients completed the first drug period, 56 the second, and 35 the third. The response to nandrolone and testosterone enanthate, the two drugs given by injection, was clearly superior to the response to oxymetholone or fluoxymesterone, given by mouth, in terms of the percentage of patients responding and the mean rise in hematocrit. Approximately half the patients had an increase of at least 5 percentage points in hematocrit after an injectable androgen was given; more than half the women responded. Patients who required transfusions regularly and those who had bilateral nephrectomies did not respond.

(1989). Synge, Spinoza, and The Well of the Saints. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews: Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 138-145.

The South Texas Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico has recently been approved for leasing for o i l exploration, thus providing an excellent area for studies on the effects of oi l exploration and d r i l l i n g on the marine environment before, during and af ter such ac t i v i t i es . In order to determine the effects of th is ac t i v i t y on the heavy hydrocarbon content of benthic organisms, we conducted a survey of the E-parrafin content in several species of benthic epifauna. Since there is l i t t l e information on the hydrocarbon content and d is t r ibut ion of most species of marine organsims (MOORE et a l . , 1973), the data obtained from these analyses should not on-Ty--b-e important for th is study, but should also be useful in forming a data base for assessing whether organisms of the same species from other areas have been contaminated by o i l .

Except for the slave-owning areas of the south, no country has been as work-oriented as the United States. The American of all classes was expected to be “good with his hands.” But we shouldn't forget that work subcultures have their own mystique, they aren't “natural,” and one becomes a participating member through a process of enculturation which may be as difficult as the process of becoming Americanized is difficult for some immigrants.

In reviewing the history of the development of techniques of work evaluation, four different approaches are appraised: (1) the mental testing approach, (2) the job analysis approach, (3) the work-sample approach, and (4) the situational assessment approach. Each of these sets of methods is found to arise from somewhat different sectors of society, to serve differing interests, and to have differing objectives. After examination of the merits and limitations of each of the four approaches, the conclusion is drawn that “no one of these four methods can do everything; each deals with a restricted facet of a many-faceted problem.” Attention is called to the general need for validation through professional observation in unprotected industrial settings.

We have commissioned a high-energy glass-laser at the Large Plasma Device (LAPD) to study the interaction of a dense laser-produced plasma with a large (17 m) magnetized plasma. First experiments with an energy of the laser blow-off an order of magnitude higher than previous work (Gekelman et al. in J. Geophys. Res. 108(A7):1281, 2003) produced large amplitude Alfven waves (δ B ⊥ /B 0≈15%). We will discuss the potential of this facility for collisionless laboratory astrophysics experiments.

Phthalate ester plasticizers have been detected in the open-ocean environment. Samples consisting of water, sediment, air, and biota from the Gulf of Mexico and of water and air from the North Atlantic were analyzed and found to contain two phthalate esters, di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-dibutyl phthalate (DBP): the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) and DDT's (p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE) were also determined. Like the ubiquitous PCB's and DDT's, the phthalate plasticizers were found in almost all samples analyzed; DEHP was present at higher concentrations than the PCB's or DDT's in water and sediment. The environmental impact of the concentrations found in these studies, coupled with the continued high production and wise use of these plasticizers, requires assessment.

Intensive development of industrial plants located along the Houston Ship Channel is a major potential source of refractory organic contaminants to the Galveston Bay estuarine system. Petroleum production and shipping also contribute extensively to the pollutant load of the Bay. For example, previous workers have reported that oyster samples collected at the lower end of the Houston Ship Channel, particularly Morgan's Point, consistently revealed high levels (130 to 240 ppM) of petroleum hydrocarbons. As bivalves have been suggested as potentially valuable sentinel organisms for indicating levels of pollutants in coastal marine waters, this study was undertaken to analyze oysters from Galveston Bay for selected pollutants. Three compounds, each representing a particular class of organic pollutant, were selected for determination in oysters (Crassostrea virginica) collected near Morgan's Point. These were benzo(a)pyrene (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon), hexachlorobenzene (polycholoroaromatic hydrocarbon), and pentachlorophenol (chlorinated phenol). These compounds were selected because of their large annual production, patterns of use and disposal which favor their entry into the oceans, high toxicity, and persistence in the environment.

We report on a new search for solar chameleons with the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST). A GridPix detector was used to search for soft X-ray photons in the energy range from 200 eV to 10 keV from converted solar chameleons. No signiffcant excess over the expected background has been observed in the data taken in 2014 and 2015. We set an improved limit on the chameleon photon coupling, $\beta_\gamma < 5.7\times10^{10}$ for $1, Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures, 3 tables