A low rate of multiple maternity for pregnant male northern pipefish Syngnathus fuscus

Microsatellite parentage analysis was applied to 22 broods of the northern pipefish Syngnathus fuscus for the first time. The majority of males mated singly, 23% of males mated with two females, and no males mated with more than two females. The arrangement of embryos within the brood pouch of multiply mated males reflects a previously undocumented fill pattern where full-sib groups are segregated within the pouch by both right and left sides as well as anterior and posterior ends.

Evaluating the accuracy of the benefit transfer method: a rural water supply application in the USA

Due to declining federal, state, and local government budgets, there is an increasing need to analyze the benefits of government funded programs to determine where increasingly limited funds would best be spent. The benefits transfer technique is analyzed for the development of a rural water supply system and guidelines for successful benefits transfer are presented. Benefit transfer appears to provide reasonably accurate estimates of natural resource benefits if a broad based benefit model is used. The benefits-transfer-based estimates are accurate as long as a model based on data from a wide variety of conditions is used or the model is based on data from a very similar region. The wide-based data modeling approach has the greatest practical application. These findings are based upon contingent valuation data obtained from four sites in the western USA.

Crystal structure of the SarR protein from Staphylococcus aureus

The expression of virulence determinants in Staphylococcus aureus is controlled by global regulatory loci (e.g., sarA and agr). The sar (Staphylococcus accessory regulator) locus is composed of three overlapping transcripts (sarA P1, P3, and P2, transcripts initiated from the P1, P3, and P2 promoters, respectively), all encoding the 124-aa SarA protein. The level of SarA, the major regulatory protein, is partially controlled by the differential activation of the sarA promoters. We previously partially purified a 13.6-kDa protein, designated SarR, that binds to the sarA promoter region to down-modulate sarA transcription from the P1 promoter and subsequently SarA expression. SarR shares sequence similarity to SarA, and another SarA homolog, SarS. Here we report the 2.3 A-resolution x-ray crystal structure of the dimeric SarR-MBP (maltose binding protein) fusion protein. The structure reveals that the SarR protein not only has a classic helix-turn-helix module for DNA binding at the major grooves, but also has an additional loop region involved in DNA recognition at the minor grooves. This interaction mode could represent a new functional class of the "winged helix" family. The dimeric SarR structure could accommodate an unusually long stretch of approximately 27 nucleotides with two or four bending points along the course, which could lead to the bending of DNA by 90 degrees or more, similar to that seen in the catabolite activator protein (CAP)-DNA complex. The structure also demonstrates the molecular basis for the stable dimerization of the SarR monomers and possible motifs for interaction with other proteins.

Wide QRS tachycardia refractory to pharmacologic interventions and cardioversion

The case of a 43-year-old man with an idiopathic wide QRS tachycardia resistant to adenosine, lidocaine, procainamide, and multiple electric shocks is described. The tachycardia eventually stopped after a pacing wire was introduced in the right ventricle, inducing a run of rapid ventricular tachycardia. The possible causes of resistance to medications and cardioversion, and alternative treatment modalities are reviewed.

Clinical decision making in evaluating patients: a process study

A volunteer patient was examined by five dentists experienced in caring for geriatric patients. The patient and dentist interaction was videotaped and reviewed to evaluate a previously generated hypothesis regarding the diagnosis process. This descriptive study suggests that dentists experienced in geriatric care did assess and evaluate a wide range of patient characteristics. However, they did not follow the previously hypothesized process in arriving at an appropriate treatment plan. Instead, they relied heavily on past experiences with similar situations. The possible implications of this process for treatment planning and teaching of geriatric dentistry are discussed.

Nonlinear effects on pulsed laser propagation in the atmosphere

Nonlinear effects on the propagation of a high power pulsed laser beam through the earth's atmosphere are modeled. Stimulated Raman scattering in relatively modest power laser beams is estimated to be very significant when extremely long path lengths are considered. Whole beam self-focusing may also seriously affect beam propagation. The observation of these phenomena is likely to be enhanced by wavefront compensation techniques to remove linear refractive-index atmospheric effects such as beam steering and scintillation. Examples of space to ground and ground to space beam propagation are presented.

The life cycle of Cloacitrema michiganensis McIntosh, 1938 (Trematoda: Philophthalmidae)

Experimental infections of Cloacitrema michiganensis were established in chicks by inoculation per cloaca with excysted metacercariae. Ovigerous adults were present 20 days later with eggs containing ocellate miracidia after 21 days. The eggs hatch in utero; the miracidium contains a fully developed redia. Rediae of 2 size groups were present in the digestive gland of the brackish-water snail, Cerithidea californica. Megalurous cercariae are released and encyst on submerged objects. The stages of C. michiganensis resembled those of Parorchis acanthus, a philophthalmid also infecting C. californica, except for differences in the epidermal plate count of their miracidia and in their cercarial stage which was larger in P. acanthus and had a spinuous tegument with a collar of spines.

Large aperture harmonic conversion experiments at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Large aperture harmonic conversion experiments to 2 omega (532 nm), 3 omega (355 nm), and 4 omega (266 nm) on the Argus laser at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are described. Harmonically converted energies of up to 346 J have been generated at external conversion efficiencies of 83%. A discussion of the harmonic conversion experiments and a brief summary of enhanced 2 omega and 3 omega inertial confinement fusion target performances are provided.

Effects of phenol on card-agglutination and complement-fixation tests for bovine anaplasmosis

Effects of adding phenol to sera used for the card-agglutination test (CAT) and for the micro-complement-fixation test (CFT) for bovine anaplasmosis were studied. Sera were obtained from 14 recently infected cattle, 17 cattle vaccinated with a killed anaplasmosis vaccine, 5 cattle in the carrier phase of the disease, and 45 cattle of unknown anaplasmosis status. Aliquots of sera were tested with and without phenol (0.25% final concentration). Phenol adversely affected the CAT by causing false-negative results. The CAT reactions of nonphenolized sera from recently infected cattle were all positive 4 weeks after inoculation, whereas CAT reactions of phenolized sera were not all positive until 10 weeks after inoculation. Nine non-phenolized sera from vaccinated cattle that were CAT-positive were CAT-negative after being phenolized. Phenolized sera from carrier cattle and from cattle of unknown anaplasmosis status were less reactive on the CAT than were nonphenolized sera. Effects of phenol on the CFT were not so obvious. Although phenol had little effect on end-titer results, it eliminated most prozones that cause false-negative CFT results at the 1:5 dilution. Without phenol, 30 of 215 sera would have been CFT-negative at this dilution because of prozones; with phenol, 6 would have been CFT-negative.

Diagnosis of human scabies by epidermal shave biopsy

A superficial shave biopsy is described as a simple, essentially painless, more reliable method for the demonstration of the scabies mite, eggs, and feces in human skin.

Cardiovascular effects of total hip placement in man. With observations on the effects of methylmethacrylate on the isolated rabbit heart

The cardiovascular effects of total hip placement were evaluated in 10 surgical patients, aged 55 to 82, while receiving fluroxene-N2O-O2 anesthesia. The anesthetic regimen caused mild cardiovascular depression. The placement of the acrylic cement into the acetabulum and femoral shaft also induced mild cardiovascular depression, but these changes were not significant at p less than 0.05. In one 67-yr-old woman, there were significant reductions of cardiac output and stroke volume 2 min after the insertion of acrylic into the femoral shaft, despite careful replacement of intravascular loss and careful anesthetic management. Methylmethacrylate (1 X 10(-6) to 1 X 10(-4), v/v) was administered to 24 isolated perfused rabbits hearts. These concentrations of methylmetacrylate are of the same order as measurable blood levels in surgical patients. There was a dose-dependent depression of left ventricular dP/dt correlated with a depression of the spontaneous heart rate. When the bradycardia was prevented by electrically pacing the hearts or the administration of atropine, the depressed dP/dt rose to control levels. Reduction in myocardial temperature and heart rate by means of reduction in perfusate temperature of the isolated hearts reduced the myocardial depressant effect of methylmethacrylate.

The distribution of ancestral secondary cases in Parkinson's disease

Recent evidence suggests a genetic mode of transmission of Parkinson's disease. A multifactorial mechanism is likely, but autosomal dominance with reduced penetrance has not been excluded. The distribution of ancestral second-degree relatives with Parkinson's disease was evaluated in 12 families. Affected relatives were bilaterally distributed more often than would be expected for autosomal dominance. The distribution of ancestral secondary cases suggests a multifactorial etiology for most cases of Parkinson's disease. The possibility of dominant gene inheritance in some families is not entirely ruled out.

Interpulse interference and passive laser pulse shapers

Passive pulse shapers including Fabry-Perot etalons, double-etalons, and classical beam splitters are examined both theoretically and experimentally for their temporal behavior. For temporally and spatially overlapped pulses, interpulse interference effects determine the resulting pulse shapes. The output pulses from such devices are expected to be of great importance for laser fusion pulse shaping.

Refractive index profile optimization in diffused graded index lenses

Refractive index profiles resulting from simple diffusion processes in glass are calculated, and optimum choices of diffusion parameters are chosen from minimum error in approximating focusing refractive index profiles. Time dependent boundary conditions are shown to result in considerably improved profiles.

Patterns of clinical response and plasma dopa levels in Parkinson's disease

Serial determinations of plasma dihydroxyphenylalanine (dopa) in 16 Parkinson's disease patients receiving levodopa showed a negative correlation between plasma dopa levels and disability scores among patients who exhibited daily fluctuations of signs and symptoms. This suggests that the amount of levodopa delivered to the brain from the periphery is of major importance in the production of the "on-off" phenomenon. A close relationship between plasma dopa levels and abnormal involuntary movements was present in six patients. In three a striking dissociation between control of Parkinson's disease and abnormal involuntary movements was present, suggesting that in some patients these two effects are mediated through different underlying mechanisms. Administration of levodopa in such a way as to prevent both high and low levels of dopa in plasma minimizes disability in Parkinson's disease and may lessen abnormal involuntary movements in patients with the "on-off" effect.

The relative safety of polymethylmethacrylate. A controlled clinical study of randomly selected patients treated with Charnley and ring total hip replacements

Forty patients from a group of seventy elected to participate in a prospective randomized clinical study designed to evaluate the systemic effects of polymethylmethacrylate implanted with a Charnley total hip replacement, utilizing patients treated with a Ring total hip prosthesis ad controls. Intraoperative alterations in cardiovascular function were related to use of methylmethacrylate, but postoperative changes in pulmonary function, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum lactic acid dehydrogenase, serum glutamicoxalacetic transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase were not. Charnley total hip replacements were associated with more ectopic-bone formation twelve months postoperatively. The two "latent" infections recognized during the thirty-four months of the study were in hips without acrylic fixation.

Refractive index profile measurements of diffused optical waveguides

Refractive index profiles resulting from the fabrication of optical waveguides by diffusion techniques are measured using a reflection interferometric technique. In Cd-diffused ZnSe waveguides, the index variations are found to be complementary error functions that closely follow the composition changes for deep (>5 microm) diffusions. Shallow (<5 microm) diffusions produce waveguides in which the index profile is a complementary error function that differs significantly from the composition profile. The relationship between composition and refractive index is determined for Cd compositions less than 10%. Refractive index profiles in commercially available diffused glass waveguides (SELFOC rod and fibers) are also described.