Varying efficacy of Helicobacter pylori eradication regimens: cost effectiveness study using a decision analysis model

Objective: To determine how small differences in the efficacy and cost of two antibiotic regimens to eradicate Helicobacter pylori can affect the overall cost effectiveness of H pylori eradication in duodenal ulcer disease.

Designing a library: everyone on the same page?

Excerpts are presented from an interview by the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association buildings projects editor with four academic health sciences library directors: one who had recently completed a major library building project and three who were involved in various stages of new building projects. They share their experiences planning for and implementing library-building programs. The interview explores driving forces leading to new library buildings, identifies who should be involved, recalls the most difficult and exciting moments of the building projects, relates what they wished they had known before starting the project, assesses the impact of new library facilities on clients and services, reviews what they would change, and describes forces impacting libraries today and attributes of the twenty-first century library.

Relationship between psychostimulant-induced "high" and dopamine transporter occupancy.

The ability of cocaine to inhibit the dopamine transporter (DAT) appears to be crucial for its reinforcing properties. The potential use of drugs that produce long-lasting inhibition of the DAT as a mean of preventing the "high" and reducing drug-seeking behavior has become a major strategy in medication development. However, neither the relation between the high and DAT inhibition nor the ability to block the high by prior DAT blockade have ever been demonstrated. To evaluate if DAT could prevent the high induced by methylphenidate (MP), a drug which like cocaine inhibits the DAT, we compared the responses in eight non-drug-abusing subjects between the first and the second of two MP doses (0.375 mg/kg, i.v.) given 60 min apart. At 60 min the high from MP has returned to baseline, but 75-80% of the drug remains in brain. Positron-emission tomography and [11C]d-threo-MP were used to estimate DAT occupancies at different times after MP. DAT inhibition by MP did not block or attenuate the high from a second dose of MP given 60 min later, despite a 80% residual transporter occupancy from the first dose. Furthermore some subjects did not perceive a high after single or repeated administration despite significant DAT blockade. These results indicate that DAT occupancy is not sufficient to account for the high, and that for DAT inhibitors to be therapeutically effective, occupancies > 80% may be required.

Reduction in the level of Gal(alpha1,3)Gal in transgenic mice and pigs by the expression of an alpha(1,2)fucosyltransferase.

Hyperacute rejection of a porcine organ by higher primates is initiated by the binding of xenoreactive natural antibodies of the recipient to blood vessels in the graft leading to complement activation. The majority of these antibodies recognize the carbohydrate structure Gal(alphal,3)Gal (gal epitope) present on cells of pigs. It is possible that the removal or lowering of the number of gal epitopes on the graft endothelium could prevent hyperacute rejection. The Gal(alpha1,3) Gal structure is formed by the enzyme Galbeta1,4GlcNAc3-alpha-D-galactosyltransferase [alpha(1,3)GT; EC 2.4.1.51], which transfers a galactose molecule to terminal N-acetyllactosamine (N-lac) present on various glycoproteins and glycolipids. The N-lac structure might be utilized as an acceptor by other glycosyltransferases such as Galbeta1,4GlcNAc 6-alpha-D-sialyltransferase [alpha(2,6)ST], Galbeta1,4GlcNAc 3-alpha-D-Sialyltransferase [alpha(2,3)ST], or Galbeta 2-alpha-L-fucosyltransferase [alpha(1,2)FT; EC 2.4.1.691, etc. In this report we describe the competition between alpha(1,2)FT and alpha(1,3)GT in cells in culture and the generation of transgenic mice and transgenic pigs that express alpha(1,2)Fr leading to synthesis of Fucalpha,2Galbeta- (H antigen) and a concomitant decrease in the level of Gal(alpha1,3)Gal. As predicted, this resulted in reduced binding of xenoreactive natural antibodies to endothelial cells of transgenic mice and protection from complement mediated lysis.

Distribution of parthenogenetic cells in the mouse brain and their influence on brain development and behavior.

A systematic analysis of parthenogenetic (PG) cell fate within the central nervous system (CNS) was made throughout fetal development and neonatal and adult life. Chimeras were made between PG embryos carrying a ubiquitously expressed lacZ transgene and normal fertilized embryos. After detailed histological analysis, we find that the developmental potential of PG cells is spatially restricted to certain parts of the brain. PG cells are prevalent in telencephalic structures and are largely excluded from diencephalic structures, especially the hypothalamus. These spatial restrictions are established early in development. Behavioral studies with chimeras identified an increase in male aggression when the proportion of PG cells in the brain was high. These studies demonstrate that imprinted genes play key roles in development of the CNS and may be involved in behavior.

Solution structure of the Shc SH2 domain complexed with a tyrosine-phosphorylated peptide from the T-cell receptor.

She is a widely expressed adapter protein that plays an important role in signaling via a variety of cell surface receptors and has been implicated in coupling the stimulation of growth factor, cytokine, and antigen receptors to the Ras signaling pathway. She interacts with several tyrosine-phosphorylated receptors through its C-terminal SH2 domain, and one of the mechanisms of T-cell receptor-mediated Ras activation involves the interaction of the Shc SH2 domain with the tyrosine-phosphorylated zeta chain of the T-cell receptor. Here we describe a high-resolution NMR structure of the Shc SH2 domain complexed to a phosphopeptide (GHDGLpYQGLSTATK) corresponding to a portion of the zeta chain of the T-cell receptor. Although the overall architecture of the protein is similar to other SH2 domains, distinct structural differences were observed in the smaller beta-sheet, BG loop, (pY + 3) phosphopeptide-binding site, and relative position of the bound phosphopeptide.

Functional anatomy of human eyeblink conditioning determined with regional cerebral glucose metabolism and positron-emission tomography.

Relative cerebral glucose metabolism was examined with positron-emission tomography (PET) as a measure of neuronal activation during performance of the classically conditioned eyeblink response in 12 young adult subjects. Each subject received three sessions: (i) a control session with PET scan in which unpaired presentations of the tone conditioned stimulus and corneal airpuff unconditioned stimulus were administered, (ii) a paired training session to allow associative learning to occur, and (iii) a paired test session with PET scan. Brain regions exhibiting learning-related activation were identified as those areas that showed significant differences in glucose metabolism between the unpaired control condition and well-trained state in the 9 subjects who met the learning criterion. Areas showing significant activation included bilateral sites in the inferior cerebellar cortex/deep nuclei, anterior cerebellar vermis, contralateral cerebellar cortex and pontine tegmentum, ipsilateral inferior thalamus/red nucleus, ipsilateral hippocampal formation, ipsilateral lateral temporal cortex, and bilateral ventral striatum. Among all subjects, including those who did not meet the learning criterion, metabolic changes in ipsilateral cerebellar nuclei, bilateral cerebellar cortex, anterior vermis, contralateral pontine tegmentum, ipsilateral hippocampal formation, and bilateral striatum correlated with degree of learning. The localization to cerebellum and its associated brainstem circuitry is consistent with neurobiological studies in the rabbit model of eyeblink classical conditioning and neuropsychological studies in brain-damaged humans. In addition, these data support a role for the hippocampus in conditioning and suggest that the ventral striatum may also be involved.

Student-Athlete Learning: How Learning Spaces Influence Athletic and Academic Success

This study will utilize case study inquiry to examine student-athlete learning opportunities in the athletic learning space and academic learning space in a higher education NCAA Division I collegiate institution. This study will assess what learning opportunities exist within the athletic and academic learning space to better understand effective learning practices. This study will utilize the sociocultural Learning Sciences literature, supported with critical pedagogy and inclusive excellence literature, to understand how different learning spaces contribute to student-athlete learning opportunities and educational success in college.

An argument for an eight-hour law

by Walter S. Logan.

Denver and Vicinity, Colorado, 1957 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic, topographic paper map entitled: Denver and vicinity, Colorado, 1957. It was published in 1959 by the Geological Survey. Compiled from 1:24,000 scale maps of Sable, Derby, Arvada, Fort Logan, Englewood, Fitzsimons, Parker, Highlands Ranch, and Littleton 1957 7.5 minute quadrangles. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the State Plane Colorado Central NAD 1927 coordinate system (in Feet) (Fipszone 0502). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This is a typical topographic map portraying both natural and manmade features. It shows and names works of nature, such as mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers, vegetation, etc. It also identify the principal works of humans, such as roads, railroads, boundaries, transmission lines, major buildings, etc. Relief is shown with standard contour intervals of 10 feet. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Il miglioramento continuo nel trattamento e confezionamento di prodotti alimentari: il caso Tetra Pak

In questo lavoro di tesi viene affrontato il tema del Miglioramento Continuo all'interno di un caso di studio reale. Viene posta come obiettivo la verifica delle potenzialità dei principi del Miglioramento Continuo nel settore di confezionamento e trasformazione di prodotti liquidi alimentari. Il progetto riguarda il reparto di consulenza della multinazionale svedese Tetra Pak, che offre l'implementazione del sistema ad un'azienda cliente sita nel Regno Unito. L'implementazione del progetto si sviluppa da un primo accurato studio della situazione aziendale, a seguito del quale sono state riscontrate necessità di cambiamento in aree specifiche. Successivamente a questa prima fase di studio segue una seconda fase di pianificazione e sviluppo della strategia di miglioramento che ha visto coinvolti il personale Tetra Pak e il personale dell'azienda locale. Il processo di miglioramento viene applicato inizialmente su una cella pilota, selezionata all'interno delle linee produttive dell'azienda cliente, per poi essere espanso a tutto il reparto produttivo qualora il risultato misurato confermi le aspettative.

El espejo de Pandora : Identidad y monstruosidad en Penny Dreadful

La serie Penny Dreadful (2014-presente) recupera personajes y tramas de novelas de terror y/o fantásticas ampliamente conocidas. La propuesta narrativa de esta serie creada por John Logan sitúa dichos elementos en la convulsionada Londres decimonónica y los fusiona, configurando así un discurso propio acerca de la "monstruosidad" de los personajes que presenta. En esta refundición, la serie ejercita una serie de reflexiones sobre la condición humana y la del monstruo. Como se plantea en la segunda temporada, al retomar el mito de Pandora y reformularlo, la distinción entre el hombre y el monstruo parece quedar en suspenso, dando lugar a una concepción de la monstruosidad diferente a la que encontramos en otras producciones televisivas contemporáneas. En este artículo analizamos las representaciones de la monstruosidad y las identidades en Penny Dreadful para ello prestaremos especial atención a los personajes y sus interacciones a lo largo de la primera y segunda temporada de la serie, así como a la relación entre la serie y sus fuentes literarias