Changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function, immunity, and glucose during acute Plasmodium relictum infection in house sparrows (Passer domesticus).

Hosts of the same species vary in physiological responses to the same parasite, and some groups of individuals can disproportionately affect disease dynamics; however, the underlying pathophysiology of host-parasite interactions is poorly understood in wildlife. We tested the hypothesis that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis mediates host resistance and tolerance to avian malaria during the acute phase of infection by evaluating whether individual variation in circulating glucocorticoids predicted resistance to avian malaria in a songbird. We experimentally inoculated wild-caught house sparrows (Passer domesticus) with naturally sourced Plasmodium relictum and quantified baseline and restraint-induced circulating corticosterone, negative feedback ability, cellular and humoral immune function, and baseline and restraint-induced glycemia, prior to and during acute malaria infection. During peak parasitemia, we also evaluated the expression of several liver cytokines that are established pathological hallmarks of malaria in mammals: two pro-inflammatory (IFN-γ and TNF-α) and two anti-inflammatory (IL-10 and TGF-ß). Although most of the host metrics we evaluated were not correlated with host resistance or tolerance to avian malaria, this experiment revealed novel relationships between malarial parasites and the avian immune system that further our understanding of the pathology of malaria infection in birds. Specifically, we found that: (1) TNF-α liver expression was positively correlated with parasitemia; (2) sparrows exhibited an anti-inflammatory profile during malaria infection; and (3) IFN-γ and circulating glucose were associated with several immune parameters, but only in infected sparrows. We also found that, during the acute phase of infection, sparrows increased the strength of corticosterone negative feedback at the level of the pituitary. In the context of our results, we discuss future methodological considerations and aspects of host physiology that may confer resistance to avian malaria, which can help inform conservation and rehabilitation strategies for avifauna at risk.

No, you go first: phenotype and social context affect house sparrow neophobia.

Novel object trials are commonly used to assess aversion to novelty (neophobia), and previous work has shown neophobia can be influenced by the social environment, but whether the altered behaviour persists afterwards (social learning) is largely unknown in wild animals. We assessed house sparrow (Passer domesticus) novel object responses before, during and after being paired with a conspecific of either similar or different behavioural phenotype. During paired trials, animals housed with a similar or more neophobic partner demonstrated an increased aversion to novel objects. This change did not persist a week after unpairing, but neophobia decreased after unpairing in birds previously housed with a less neophobic partner. We also compared novel object responses to non-object control trials to validate our experimental procedure. Our results provide evidence of social learning in a highly successful invasive species, and an interesting asymmetry in the effects of social environment on neophobia behaviour depending on the animal's initial behavioural phenotype.

Sub-Kelvin cooling for two kilopixel bolometer arrays in the PIPER receiver.

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER) is a balloon-borne telescope mission to search for inflationary gravitational waves from the early universe. PIPER employs two 32 × 40 arrays of superconducting transition-edge sensors, which operate at 100 mK. An open bucket Dewar of liquid helium maintains the receiver and telescope optics at 1.7 K. We describe the thermal design of the receiver and sub-Kelvin cooling with a continuous adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (CADR). The CADR operates between 70 and 130 mK and provides ≈10 µW cooling power at 100 mK, nearly five times the loading of the two detector assemblies. We describe electronics and software to robustly control the CADR, overall CADR performance in flightlike integrated receiver testing, and practical considerations for implementation in the balloon float environment.

A review of giant correlation-length effects via proximity and weak-links coupling in a critical system: 4He near the superfluid transition.

We review measurements of 4He near the superfluid transition in arrangements whereby an array of weak links couple relatively larger, more bulk-like 4He regions. In contrast to experiments which focus on the dependence of the superflow on the chemical potential difference across the links, these studies focus on the specific heat of both the weak links and that of the larger coupled regions, as well as the behavior of the superfluid fraction within the weak links. The data show unexpected results which reflect a very long range coupling as well as modification of the weak link itself due to the proximity to bulk-like helium. One finds that while the three-dimensional correlation length [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text], is involved in these long-range effects, the distance over which these can be seen is of the order of 100 to 1000 times [Formula: see text]. These results call into question our understanding of the meaning of the correlation length at a critical point as the 'range' over which information can propagate. These studies are the first to measure the thermodynamic properties of weak links for a critical system where fluctuations are important. They differ in essential ways with expectations from mean-field considerations. We compare results with other 4He measurements, with superconductors and the theoretical calculations of the Ising model.

Neurosarcoidosis presenting as an isolated intrasellar mass: case report and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: Isolated neurosarcoidosis without evidence of extracranial manifestation continues to be a rare phenomenon. This case report and others in the literature demonstrate the difficulty in making the diagnosis of isolated neurosarcoidosis, as it may be indistinguishable from other pathologies on radiographic and laboratory studies. This case report and review of the literature will emphasize the need for clinical suspicion for neurosarcoidosis in patients with intrasellar lesions and the appropriate clinical history. CASE HISTORY: A 37-year-old female presented with visual field changes and a headache unresponsive to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications. A history of Bell's palsy, hypothyroidism, and a history of sarcoidosis in the patient's father were noted. Imaging revealed an intrasellar mass resembling a pituitary macroadenoma. Routine neuroendocrine laboratory studies were consistent with hypopituitarism, and all other standard laboratory tests were normal. An endonasal transsphenoidal resection of the intrasellar lesion was done. The tissue was inconsistent with a typical adenoma. Intraoperative pathology reported non-caseating granulomatous disease. Based on the patient's history and intraoperative pathology she was diagnosed with neurosarcoidosis, which was confirmed by final pathologic analysis. Minimal debulking was performed to decompress the optic chiasm. The patient was then placed on corticosteroids and methotrexate and responded well to medical therapy. CONCLUSION: If isolated neurosarcoidosis is diagnosed early it will save a costly and invasive work-up. Radiographic and laboratory studies may aid in diagnosis but no studies are pathognomonic. Neurosarcoidosis is diagnosed by a combination of imaging, diagnostic tests, and good clinical suspicion.

Effects of mid-season avermectin treatments on pyrethroid resistance in horn fly (Diptera: Muscidae) populations at three locations in Louisiana.

Between 1999 and 2002, the effect of mid-season doramectin treatments on the level of resistance in pyrethroid-resistant horn fly populations was examined at three separate Louisiana State University Agricultural Center research stations. The cattle were treated with pyrethroid ear tags in all years at all farms, and each farm received a mid-season doramectin treatment in 1 year. The number of weeks of control at Red River was 11 weeks higher in the year following the mid-season treatment of doramectin. At Macon Ridge, the number of weeks of control was 2 weeks higher in the year following the doramectin treatment. No change was observed at St. Joseph. The LC50s for fly populations tested at Macon Ridge and St. Joseph were found to increase for pyrethroids from the spring populations to the fall populations between 2000 and 2002. The LC50s for fly populations at Red River followed the same trends except in 2000, the year when the doramectin treatment was administered. Flies collected pre and post-treatment each year from St. Joseph and Red River were assayed for two alleles (kdr and skdr) associated with target site resistance to pyrethroids. Flies collected pretreatment at Macon Ridge in 1999 also were assayed for the kdr and skdr, and this population of flies had a frequency of 85.6% R-kdr alleles. At St. Joseph and Red River there was a general decline in the frequency of homozygous susceptible skdr (SS-skdr) and homozygous susceptible kdr (SS-kdr) individuals, as well as a general increase in homozygous resistant skdr (RR-skdr) and homozygous resistant kdr (RR-kdr) individuals, during the 4-year study. At both sites, the frequency of R-kdr alleles increased significantly in flies collected in the fall compared to flies collected in the spring with the exception of Red River in 2000, when dormacetin was applied. The frequency of the R-kdr alleles was significantly higher in flies collected in the fall compared to flies collected in the spring in the following year at both sites in two out of three comparisons. The frequency of R-skdr alleles was significantly lower in fly populations tested in the spring compared to fly populations tested in the fall at both farms in years when doramectin was not applied but there were no differences in the years when doramectin was applied. The frequency of R-skdr alleles was significantly higher in fly populations tested in the fall compared to in the spring the following year during all three comparisons at Red River and in one of three comparisons at St. Joseph.

Association of the kdr and superkdr sodium channel mutations with resistance to pyrethroids in Louisiana populations of the horn fly, Haematobia irritans irritans (L.).

Pyrethroid resistance in three horn fly populations in Louisiana was monitored by weekly fly counts, filter paper bioassays, and diagnostic PCR assays for the presence of pyrethroid resistance-associated mutations in the sodium channel gene coding region. The PCR assay for the knockdown resistance (kdr) and superkdr sodium channel mutations was used to determine the frequency of the target site insensitivity mechanism in the populations of horn flies, which possessed varying degrees of insecticide resistance. The bioassays and frequency of homozygous-resistant (RR) kdr genotypes were relative predictors of the fly control subsequently observed. Flies exposed to filter paper impregnated with a discriminating concentration of one of four different insecticides were collected when 50% mortality was estimated. Genotypes for the dead flies and the survivors were determined by the PCR assay. The results of the PCR assays indicated that the genotype at the kdr locus of the flies exposed to the two pyrethroids had an effect upon whether the flies were considered to be alive or dead at the time of collection. The kdr genotype of flies exposed to either diazinon or doramectin was unrelated to whether the flies were considered to be alive or dead, except for a single comparison of flies exposed to diazinon. When possible interactions of the kdr and superkdr mutations were compared, we found that there were no associations with the response to diazinon and doramectin. For one location, there were no survivors of the 75 flies with the SS-SS (superkdr-kdr) homozygous susceptible wild type genotype exposed to pyrethroids, while there were survivors in all of the other five genotypes. The SS-RR genotype flies were more susceptible to the pyrethroids than the SR-RR flies, but that was not the case for exposure to diazinon or doramectin. In the St. Joseph population, there were an adequate number of flies to demonstrate that the SS-SR genotype was more susceptible to pyrethroids than the SS-RR and that flies with the SR-SR genotype were more susceptible to pyrethroids than the flies with the SR-RR genotype.

Three-dimensional critical behavior with 2D, 1D, and 0D dimensionality crossover: surface and edge specific heats.

The critical behavior at a second order phase transition is characterized by the divergence of the correlation length xi. We have studied the superfluid transition of 4He in a series of experimental cells in which this divergence of xi is modified due to finite-size confinement. In particular, the design of these cells is such that the smallest dimension is kept the same, 1 microm, but the geometry is such that one obtains crossover to dimensionality of 2, 1, and 0. This corresponds to films, channels, and boxes filled with helium. We measure the specific heat and compare these results with theoretical expectations. We identify surface and line specific heat contributions by analyzing the deviation of the specific heat from its behavior in the thermodynamic limit. The design of these cells is made possible by a combination of silicon lithography and direct wafer bonding.

Abnormalities in fibrillin 1-containing microfibrils in dermal fibroblast cultures from patients with systemic sclerosis (scleroderma).

OBJECTIVE: To determine if there are abnormalities in fibrillin 1-containing microfibrils in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of primary dermal fibroblasts explanted from patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: Explanted fibroblasts from unaffected skin of 12 SSc patients were used to examine fibrillin 1-containing microfibrils by immunofluorescence (IF) using a monoclonal antibody (mAb) to fibrillin 1. Metabolic labeling of the fibroblast cultures was used to study the synthesis, secretion, and processing of fibrillin 1, as well as to observe microfibril formation and stability. Microfibrils elaborated by the SSc cells were analyzed by electron microscopy for ultrastructural abnormalities, and the results were confirmed by immunoblotting. RESULTS: Control and SSc fibroblasts displayed a prominent meshwork of fibrillin 1-containing microfibrils when visualized by IF using a fibrillin 1 mAb. Paradoxically, metabolic studies indicated a paucity of fibrillin 1 in the ECM in the majority of the SSc fibroblast strains. Subsequent rotary-shadowed electron microscopy revealed reduced amounts of and ultrastructural abnormalities in the microfibrils elaborated by all strains of SSc cells. Immunoblots confirmed the lack of the high molecular weight form of fibrillin 1 in the SSc fibroblasts of Choctaw American Indians. Finally, in vitro studies indicated that the amount of fibrillin 1 in the ECM of SSc cells diminished at a faster rate than the amount of fibrillin 1 in the ECM of control cells with time. CONCLUSION: Although SSc fibroblasts assemble microfibrils, these microfibrils are unstable, suggesting that an inherent defect of fibrillin 1-containing microfibrils may play a role in the pathogenesis of SSc.

Superfluid fraction of (3)He-(4)He mixtures confined at 0.0483 microm between silicon wafers.

We report measurements of the superfluid fraction rho(s)/rho of films of (3)He-(4)He mixtures confined between silicon wafers at 0.0483 microm separation. The data obtained using adiabatic fountain resonance (AFR) can be used to test for the first time expectations of correlation-length scaling in the case of planar mixtures. For the mixtures, the data for rho(s)/rho collapse well on a universal function. The dissipation associated with AFR can also be scaled, and indicates two-dimensional crossover. These results are in contrast to pure (4)He, where over a wider range of confinements, the data for rho(s)/rho are found not to scale.

From "Anna O." to Bertha Pappenheim: transforming private pain into public action.

Bertha Pappenheim ("Anna O,") was treated for hysteria by Josef Breuer when she was a young adult. As a mature adult she became a leading social worker, writer, and feminist activist in the German Jewish community. This article examines her therapy with Breuer, her own struggle for recovery, and some links between her earlier and later life, in particular the lack of intimate relationships in her life and her work against the victimization of women. Throughout the article psychoanalytic interpretations, social history, and feminist analyses are integrated to provide a contextualized examination of Pappenheim's life.

Influence of permethrin, diazinon and ivermectin treatments on insecticide resistance in the horn fly (Diptera: Muscidae).

The history of insecticide resistance in the horn fly, Haematobia irritans, and the relationship between the characteristics of horn fly biology and insecticide use on resistance development is discussed. Colonies of susceptible horn flies were selected for resistance with six insecticide treatment regimens: continuous single use of permethrin, diazinon and ivermectin: permethrin-diazinon (1:2) mixture; and permethrin-diazinon and permethrin-ivermectin rotation (4-month cycle). Under laboratory conditions, resistance developed during generations 21, 31 and 30 to permethrin, diazinon and ivermectin, respectively. The magnitude of resistance ranged from < 3-fold with ivermectin to 1470-fold with permethrin. Field studies demonstrated that use of a single class of insecticidal ear tag during the horn-fly season resulted in product failure within 3-4 years for pyrethroids and organophosphates, respectively. In laboratory studies, use of alternating insecticides or a mixture of insecticides delayed the onset of resistance for up to 12 generations and reduced the magnitude of pyrethroid resistance. In field studies, yearly alternated use of pyrethroids and organophosphates did not slow or reverse pyrethroid resistance (Barros et al., unpublished data), while a 2-year alternated use with organophosphates resulted in partial reversion of pyrethroid resistance. When pyrethroid and organophosphate ear tags were used in a mosaic strategy at two different locations, efficacy of products did not change during a 3-year period.

Chemical probe and missing nucleoside analysis of Flp recombinase bound to the recombination target sequence.

The Flp protein catalyzes a site-specific recombination reaction between two 47 bp DNA sites without the assistance of any other protein or cofactor. The Flp recognition target (FRT) site consists of three nearly identical sequences, two of which are separated by an 8 bp spacer sequence. In order to gain insight into this remarkable protein-DNA interaction we used a variety of chemical probe methods and the missing nucleoside experiment to examine Flp binding. Hydroxyl radical footprints of Flp bound to a recombinationally-competent site fall on opposite faces of canonical B-DNA. The 8 bp spacer region between the two Flp binding sites becomes reactive towards 5-phenyl-1,10-phenanthroline.copper upon Flp binding, indicating that once bound by Flp, this segment of DNA is not in the B-form. Missing nucleoside analysis reveals that within each binding site the presence of two nucleosides on the top strand and four on the bottom, are required for formation of a fully-occupied FRT site. In contrast, loss of any nucleoside in the three binding sites in the FRT interferes with formation of lower-occupancy complexes. DNA molecules with gaps in the 8 bp spacer region are over-represented in complexes with either two or three binding sites occupied by Flp, evidence that DNA flexibility facilitates the cooperative interaction of Flp protomers bound to a recombinationally-active site.

Failure to thrive: the silent epidemic of the elderly.

Demographic changes have created the need for psychiatric nurses to examine knowledge and practice in the area of geropsychiatry. Older adults present unique challenges. The interaction of biological and psychosocial problems are most evident in the oldest old and necessitate a holistic approach. This report addresses psychosocial causes and treatment of "Failure to Thrive" (FTT) in the elderly. FTT is a label commonly used to describe a complex of nonspecific symptoms that often leads to increased disability and premature death. Psychiatric nurses are challenged to take a leadership role in case finding, as well as assessment and intervention.

TQM brings collaboration to patient transport process.

Total quality management (TQM) principles can be utilized to achieve successful outcomes of an interdepartmental problem-solving process prior to implementation of a TQM formal structure within an organization. Prior to implementation of the new process, patient transport time from nursing units to lab destination was calculated at 17.6 minutes; postimplementation, an institutional benchmark of 15.4 minutes has been set. The mechanisms utilized for development, implementation, and evaluation of a process improvement team is the focus of the article. The reader will be taken on a journey through an interdepartmental problem-solving process utilizing the TQM principles.

Mutations within the transmembrane glycoprotein of Mason-Pfizer monkey virus: loss of SU-TM association and effects on infectivity.

We have previously reported that an 11-amino-acid deletion (D33) within the immunosuppressive peptide (ISP) region of the Mason-Pfizer monkey virus transmembrane (TM) glycoprotein, gp22, caused the loss of interaction between TM and the surface (SU) glycoprotein, gp70. This resulted in the secretion of large amounts of biologically active SU glycoprotein, and we postulated that the ISP might represent a point of contact between the two glycoproteins. To further define the amino acids that might be involved in this proposed region of interaction, we have made two neighboring 4-amino-acid deletions within the area defined by the D33 mutation and have carried out saturation mutagenesis on this 8-amino-acid region. We found that one of the smaller deletions (delta D), and two single point mutations (R68S and L72P), gave the same phenotype as the original D33 mutant. These results provide additional support for the hypothesis that this region of the TM glycoprotein is in contact with the SU glycoprotein and is important in maintaining the noncovalent interactions of the glycoproteins that function to hold the complex together.

Salty solutions: their effects on thermal set points in behavioral repertoires of albino rats.

Salt (sodium chloride) has been linked to increased blood pressure and a rise in core body temperature. The objective of this study was to investigate the role played by salt in altering behavioral thermoregulation in albino rats. Different doses of sodium chloride were administered (ip) prior to fixed-interval 2-min. schedules of microwave reinforcement in rats tested in a cold Skinner Box. Three Sprague-Dawley rats were conditioned to regulate their thermal environment with 5-sec. exposures of MW reinforcement in a repeated-measures reversal design. Friedman's non-parametric test showed significant differences among sodium chloride doses and physiologically normal saline. Post hoc sign tests showed that all doses of NaCl suppressed operant behavior for heat except 60 mg/kg. The hypothesis that sodium chloride lowers hypothalamic set point for heat was partially supported.