Low-artifact intravascular devices: MR imaging evaluation

Flow-phantom magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, with use of both spin-echo (SE) and gradient-echo (GRE) techniques at 1.5 T, was performed on the percutaneous Greenfield (beta-III titanium alloy [TMA wire]), Amplatz (MP32-N alloy), and Simon nitinol filters and TMA wire facsimiles of the bird's nest, Gunther, new retrievable, and Amplatz vena caval filters. SE imaging allowed detection of thrombi as small as 5 X 5 mm trapped within the percutaneous Greenfield, Simon nitinol, and TMA-wire facsimile filters; with the MP32-N Amplatz filter, a larger volume of thrombus (10 X 20-mm clots) was necessary for clot detection. GRE imaging allowed detection of intraluminal tilting of the percutaneous Greenfield and facsimile Amplatz (TMA-wire) filters. GRE imaging was useful for demonstrating postfilter turbulence due to clots, which was greatest for the Amplatz filter. Imaging of facsimile vascular devices made of tantalum or TMA wire did not cause the severe "black-hole" MR artifacts typical of the stainless-steel devices. SE and GRE imaging were very useful for determining caval patency in two patients with previously placed Mobin-Uddin filters. Noninvasive MR evaluation of blood vessels in the presence of a variety of low-artifact intravascular devices appears feasible.     

Computer-assisted assignment of functional domains in the nonstructural polyprotein of hepatitis E virus: delineation of an additional group of positive-strand RNA plant and animal viruses.

Computer-assisted comparison of the nonstructural polyprotein of hepatitis E virus (HEV) with proteins of other positive-strand RNA viruses allowed the identification of the following putative functional domains: (i) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, (ii) RNA helicase, (iii) methyltransferase, (iv) a domain of unknown function ("X" domain) flanking the papain-like protease domains in the polyproteins of animal positive-strand RNA viruses, and (v) papain-like cysteine protease domain distantly related to the putative papain-like protease of rubella virus (RubV). Comparative analysis of the polymerase and helicase sequences of positive-strand RNA viruses belonging to the so-called "alpha-like" supergroup revealed grouping between HEV, RubV, and beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV), a plant furovirus. Two additional domains have been identified: one showed significant conservation between HEV, RubV, and BNYVV, and the other showed conservation specifically between HEV and RubV. The large nonstructural proteins of HEV, RubV, and BNYVV retained similar domain organization, with the exceptions of relocation of the putative protease domain in HEV as compared to RubV and the absence of the protease and X domains in BNYVV. These observations show that HEV, RubV, and BNYVV encompass partially conserved arrays of distinctive putative functional domains, suggesting that these viruses constitute a distinct monophyletic group within the alpha-like supergroup of positive-strand RNA viruses.     

The Discriminative Stimulus Properties of Acute Ethanol Withdrawal (Hangover) in Rats

Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to discriminate pentylenetetrazole (PTZ, 15 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) from saline (SAL) under a drug discrimination procedure. Test sessions were conducted with 10 randomly selected subjects. Tests with various doses of PTZ resulted in a dose-dependent increase in the percentage of total session responses emitted on the PTZ-appropriate lever without a significant change in response rates across a wide range of test PTZ doses. Rats did not generalize the PTZ stimulus to ethanol (ETOH) up to ETOH test doses that completely suppressed responding. High acute ETOH doses (2, 3, and 4 g/kg) administered at various time points prior to discrimination test sessions engendered responding on the PTZ-appropriate level in a quantitative fashion, that was dose- and time-dependent. This acute ETOH delayed effect from these high doses replicates our previously published study using a Drug 1-Drug 2 discrimination task with Chlordiazepoxide and PTZ. More importantly, we suggest that the present behavioral assay may be a sensitive animal analogue of human "hangover" phenomena.     

Total serum IgE levels in a large cohort of patients with severe or difficult-to-treat asthma.

BACKGROUND: Limited data are available on levels of IgE in large cohorts of patients with severe or difficult-to-treat asthma. OBJECTIVE: To examine IgE levels and disease in patients from The Epidemiology and Natural History of Asthma: Outcomes and Treatment Regimens (TENOR) study. METHODS: From January 2001 to October 2001, 4,923 patients were screened for inclusion in the study. Of these, 4,756 patients 6 years or older with severe or difficult-to-treat asthma were enrolled and completed a baseline study visit. Total serum IgE levels were measured at the baseline visit and are summarized by geometric means. RESULTS: The mean total IgE level of the population is 106.6 IU/mL (95% confidence interval, 101.5-112.0 IU/mL). Children (6-12 years old) and adolescents (13-17 years old) have higher mean IgE levels than adults (> or =18 years old) (P < .001). Males have a higher mean IgE level than females (P < .001). IgE levels are higher among nonwhite patients than white patients (P < .001). Current smokers have higher IgE levels than past smokers or never smokers (P < .001). Among children, patients with severe asthma have a higher mean IgE level (280.2 IU/mL) than patients with moderate (145.8 IU/mL) or mild (137.8 IU/mL) asthma (P < .001). Among adults, patients with childhood-onset asthma have higher IgE levels (124.3 IU/mL [n = 1,348]) than patients with adult-onset asthma (65.7 IU/mL [n = 1,956]) (P < .001). CONCLUSION: In patients with severe or difficult-to-treat asthma from the TENOR study, higher total IgE levels were observed in males, children, smokers, nonwhite racial/ethnic groups, and adults with childhood-onset disease. In addition, IgE levels are associated with asthma severity among younger patients.     

Olfactomotor activity during imagery mimics that during perception

Neural representations created in the absence of external sensory stimuli are referred to as imagery, and such representations may be augmented by reenactment of sensorimotor processes. We measured nasal airflow in human subjects while they imagined sights, sounds and smells, and only during olfactory imagery did subjects spontaneously enact the motor component of olfaction--that is, they sniffed. Moreover, as in perception, imagery of pleasant odors involved larger sniffs than imagery of unpleasant odors, suggesting that the act of sniffing has a functional role in creating of olfactory percepts.     

The human leucocyte P30 antigen: properties and assessment of value as a clonal marker

FMC3 and FMC29 are monoclonal antibodies which react with a 30,000 Dalton molecule expressed on the lymphocyte surface membrane. The molecule is a protein which does not appear to be N-glycosylated. The antigen, which is also expressed intracellularly, does not appear to be a marker of differentiation or maturation. Polyclonal cell populations, such as peripheral blood lymphocytes, show a bimodal distribution of surface antigen density, whilst monoclonal cell populations analysed quantitatively showed unimodal antigen density distributions. This suggests the antigen may be a clonal marker.     

Modifying delivery technique of fenoterol from a metered dose inhaler

Twenty-eight outpatients with bronchial asthma inhaled one puff of fenoterol hydrobromide (200 mcg) from a metered dose inhaler, either held in three different mouth positions or from three different starting lung volumes. Inhaling bronchodilator with closed mouth was significantly less effective than when the mouth was open, or when the inhaler was four cm from the open mouth. Inspiration of drug beginning from 75% of vital capacity resulted in better bronchodilation than starting at residual volume. Patients are likely to obtain maximum benefit from metered dose inhalers when the mouth is open and the inspiratory volume is small.