Apparent Relief Research Articles

25, 50 & 75 years ago.

25, 50 & 75 years ago.

Effect of an oral probiotic formula on scalp and facial skin condition, glucose, and lipid metabolism

Objective: We conducted this study to explore the effect of oral probiotic supplementation on hair density as a primary outcome in subjects with hair loss and at high risk of metabolic syndrome. The secondary objectives were to assess probiotic effects on skin barrier function,metabolic health and stress responses.Methods: We supplemented the diets of Chinese adults presenting with hair loss and high risk of metabolic syndrome (n = 26, male gender 38.5%, age = 33.6 ± 4.5 years) with a multi-strain probiotic formula at a dosage of 18.1 billion colony forming units (CFU) twice daily for 12 weeks. We compared the hair density, hair loss, anthropometrics measures, blood biochemistry markers, skin biophysical characteristics and stress-associated responses between baseline and the end of the trial.Results: After 12 weeks of probiotic supplementation, 96.2% of the study participants had improvement in hair density (median density level increased: 1; interquartile range: 1-2). Participants reported reduced hair loss both quantitatively and qualitatively. The majority (73.1%) of the participants reported apparent relief of scalp itching. Stratum corneum hydration and pH increased, while transepidermal water loss and sebum decreased on both scalp and facial skin. Body weight and body mass index decreased following probiotic consumption. Most components of glucose metabolism and the lipid profile were significantly better, with increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and reductions in glucose, homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance, total cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides. Inflammation and oxidative stress markers improved with increases in interferon-γ and superoxide dismutase, and reductions in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, interleukin-31 and malondialdehyde. No changes were observed in glycated hemoglobin, insulin, immunoglobulin E and interleukin-10 levels. Besides, perceived stress relieved in participants accompanied with improved sleep quality as well as better overall perception of life quality and health.Conclusion: Twice-daily supplementation with the test probiotic formula over a 12-weeks period may exert profound beneficial effects on hair growth, skin condition, glucose and lipid metabolism, and stress-associated psychological and physiological responses in participants presenting with hair loss and high risk of metabolic syndrome. This study has been registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2100050498).Keywords: hair density, hair loss, metabolic syndrome, oral probiotic supplementation

Effect of hot compress of the abdomen with stir-frying with coarse salt and Fructus Evodiae on abdominal distension, gastrointestinal reactions and mental status of patients with nephrotic syndrome

Objective To explore the effect of hot compress of the abdomen with stir-frying with coarse salt and Fructus Evodiae on abdominal distension, gastrointestinal reactions and mental status of patients with nephrotic syndrome(NS). Methods A total of 120 patients with primary NS who were admitted to the hospital from October 2015 to February 2018 were selected. By the random number table method, they were divided into control group and observation group, 60 cases of each group. The control group was treated with prednisone, low molecular dextran and was given routine nursing intervention. On this basis, the observation group was given hot compress of the abdomen with stir-frying with coarse salt and Fructus Evodiae combined with psychological counseling intervention. The relief of abdominal distension, gastrointestinal symptoms, mental status and quality of life scores before and after intervention were compared between the two groups. Results The apparent relief efficiency of abdominal distension in the observation group was higher than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P 0.05). Scores of nausea and constipation in both groups were decreased after intervention, and the differences was statistically significant (P<0.05). The scores of the observation group were lower than those of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The HAMA and HAMD scores of both groups were decreased after intervention, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The scores of observation group were also lower than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). SF-36 scores of both groups were increased after intervention, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05), and the score of observation group was higher than that of the control group, and the difference were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion Hot compress of the abdomen with stir-frying with coarse salt and Fructus Evodiae combined with psychological counseling can effectively relieve abdominal distension and gastrointestinal reactions in patients with NS and regulate their psychology, which is conductive to improving quality of life of patients. Key words: Stir-frying with coarse salt and Fructus Evodiae; Psychological counseling; Nephrotic syndrome; Abdominal distension; Gastrointestinal reactions

Biofilm colonization in chronic treatment refractory infections presenting with discharging sinuses: A study in a tertiary care hospital of Eastern India.

INTRODUCTION:Treatment refractory chronic recurrent infections mean those chronic infections which recur by same causal agents with similar drug responsiveness after apparent relief following full course of recommended antimicrobial management.MATERIALS AND METHODS:Fifty different samples were collected from patients with chronic surgical site infections, laparoscopic port site infections, anal fistula, mesh hernioplasty, chronic dacryocystitis, chronic osteomyelitis, and chronic burn wounds. Samples were processed for culture, identification, antibiotic sensitivity testing using standard microbiological techniques. Biofilm (BF) forming capacity for aerobic organisms were tested by tissue culture plate method. Those for anaerobes and atypical mycobacteria were studied by a novel method using atomic force microscopy (AFM). In vivo BF colonization in lacrimal mucosae of chronic dacryocystitis, patients were studied from histopathological sections by Gram staining, H and E, and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH).RESULTS:Out of fifty different samples, sixty-three isolates were obtained in pure culture as follows: Staphylococcus aureus (25.39%), Escherichia coli (14.28%), Klebsiella pneumonia (14.28%), Mycobacterium abscessus (12.69%), Citrobacter spp. (9.52%), Bacteroides fragilis (6.3%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4.7%), Proteus spp. (4.7%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (3.1%), Enterobacter spp. (1.5%), Morganella morganii (1.5%), and Peptostreptococcus spp. (1.5%). Among the isolates, 74% were found to be BF producers in the following frequency: P. aeruginosa 100%, S. epidermidis 100%, B. fragilis 100%, Klebsiella spp. 88.88%, S. aureus 81.25%, M. abscessus 75%, Citrobacter spp. 83.33%, Proteus spp. 66.66%, E. coli spp. 33.33%, and Enterobacter spp. 0%.CONCLUSION:AFM has been proven to be a useful method for detection of in vitro grown BF including those for anaerobes and atypical Mycobacteria. In vivo BF detection becomes possible by FISH. S. aureus was the most common isolate. Among the aerobic isolates, P. aeruginosa and S. epidermidis were found to be the most common BF producers. Atypical mycobacteria were also found to be BF producers. Diagnosis of BF s in chronic infections significantly changes the management strategy as these infections can no longer be dealt simply with antibiotics alone but require mechanical removal of the foci along with antibiotic coverage for complete cure.

Mutational Editing of Strained New Protein Folds with Deletion Mutations

There are 1,200 known protein folds, some of which evolved from other folds. The consequences and causes of evolutionary fold switching are not well known. The fold switch that occurs in the Cro protein family is an example of new protein fold evolution. There are two major fold groups of Cro proteins: Cro proteins that have an ancestral all‐a fold and those that have a descendant a+b fold. Early forms of the a+b Cro fold, represented by prophage Pfl6 Cro protein, exhibited conformational strain in the turn connecting the first two helices. Two groups of a+b Cro proteins that emerged later show deletions in this turn, either in G14 or T15, with apparent relief of conformational strain. To determine whether a G14 deletion could account for the strain relief, we introduced a G14 deletion into the strained Pfl6 Cro using site‐directed mutagenesis. Using circular dichroism (CD), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and fluorescence anisotropy (FA), we characterized the stability, structure, and DNA binding affinity, respectively, of this Pfl6 variant. The G14 deletion slightly increased the protein's thermal stability, partially relieved the strain in the helix 1–2 turn, and did not significantly change the DNA binding affinity compared to wild‐type Pfl6. These findings suggest that new protein folds may emerge through transitional forms that are edited through deletion and/or insertion mutations to remove awkward features.Support or Funding InformationThis research is funded by an NIH grant (R01 GM066806).

Dorsal Arachnoid Web and Scalpel Sign: A Diagnostic Imaging Entity.

A case of 60-year-old woman with idiopathic syringomyelia and progressive myelopathy by dorsal arachnoid web is discussed. One focal indentation along the dorsal surface of the spinal cord at the T3 vertebral body level revealed the scalpel sign, a radiologic entity diagnostic of a dorsal thoracic arachnoid web. T2-T3 laminectomy for the resection of dorsal arachnoid band was performed. Careful sectioning of the web resulted in visual apparent relief of the compression and good functional recovery. In patients with presumed idiopathic syringomyelia, imaging studies should be closely inspected for the presence of transverse arachnoid web. This extramedullary transverse band of arachnoid tissue extends to dorsal surface of the spinal cord, resulting in mass effect and dorsal indentation, known as scalpel sign because of its apparent resemblance to a scalpel on sagittal imaging. Early diagnosis with early intervention may benefit greatly patients. Surgical resection of transverse arachnoid web is a minimally invasive procedure with low morbidity, and can result in resolution of syringomyelia and improvement in neurological function.

Raised relief on nephrite jade artifacts: observations, explanations and implications

Mineralogical analyses of nephrite jade artifacts have been used to identify likely causes of alterations in which some specimens exhibit raised relief above the original polished surfaces. In all of the specimens examined, the raised areas consist of either large diopside ± large tremolite crystals, or, in a few cases, only fibrous tremolite, within a non-raised matrix of nephrite (fibrous tremolite). Apparent relief may be cause by a number of different effects, either mechanical (abrasive), chemical (e.g., dissolution), or a combination (mineralogical alteration leading to formation of relief). The most enigmatic examples occur where the relief formed after the object was polished and can not be easily attributed to chemical dissolution or mechanical abrasion. One possible explanation for these is that minor amounts of secondary growth of hydrous minerals, such as clays along grain boundaries, produced a volume increase which caused the crystals to rise. Carbon-14 analysis on one vessel that displays raised relief has produced an age of 3010 ± 30 years before present for organic material that coated the alteration.

Modelling Late Miocene vegetation in Europe: Results of the CARAIB model and comparison with palaeovegetation data

The CARAIB (CARbon Assimilation In the Biosphere) model is used to study the vegetation distribution during the Late Miocene (Tortonian). In this version, the plant classification is specifically adapted to best represent Miocene European vegetation. Compared to other plant classifications used in global models, this adapted classification is more refined, since it is specifically developed for European vegetation and it includes various thermophylous tree types, which were present in Europe during the Miocene. The corresponding climatic tolerance parameters are based on the study of Laurent et al. (Journal of Vegetation Science, 15, 739-746, 2004) for the tree types currently present in Europe and on the distribution of analogue species in southeastern Asia and North/Central America for the thermophylous (sub-tropical) trees. The same classification is used to characterize the palaeoflora at the available Late Miocene localities, allowing a model–data comparison at the plant functional type level, rather than at the biome level. The climatic inputs to CARAIB are obtained from the COSMOS atmosphere–ocean general circulation model. The climatic anomalies (Tortonian minus Present) derived from COSMOS are interpolated to a higher spatial resolution before being used in the vegetation model. These anomalies are combined with a modern climatology to produce climatic fields with high spatial resolution (10′ × 10′). This procedure has the advantage of making apparent relief features smaller than the grid cells of the climate model and, hence, makes easier the comparison with local vegetation data, although it does not really improve the quality of the Tortonian climate reconstruction. The new version of CARAIB was run over Europe at this higher spatial resolution. It calculates the potential distribution of 13 different classes of trees (including cold/cool/warm-temperate, sub-tropical and tropical types), together with their cover fractions, net primary productivities and biomasses. The resulting model vegetation distribution reconstructed for the Tortonian is compared to available palaeovegetation and pollen data. Before performing this comparison, the tree taxa present at the various data sites are assigned to one or several model classes, depending on the identification level of the taxa. If several classes are possible for a taxon, only those that can co-exist with the other tree classes identified at the site are retained. This methodology is similar to the co-existence approach used in palaeoclimatic reconstructions based on vegetation data. It narrows the range of tree types present at the various sites, by suppressing in the data the extreme types, such as the cold boreal/temperate and tropical trees. The method allows a comparison with the model simulation on a presence/absence basis. This comparison provides an overall agreement of 53% between the model and the data, when all sites and tree types are considered. The agreement is high (> 85%) for needle-leaved summergreen boreal/temperate cold trees ( Larix sp.) and for tropical trees, intermediate (> 40%) for other boreal/temperate cold trees and for needle-leaved evergreen temperate cool trees, broadleaved summergreen temperate cool trees and broadleaved evergreen warm-temperate trees, and poor (< 40%) for most temperate perhumid warm trees. In many cases, the model is shown to be better at predicting the absence than the presence, as observed for tropical trees. The modelled distributions of cold boreal/temperate trees tend to extend too much towards the south compared to the data. By contrast, model sub-tropical trees (temperate perhumid warm and needle-leaf summergreen temperate warm trees) appear to be restricted to some limited areas in southern Europe, while they are present in the data from central Europe up to at least 50°N. Consequently, modelled Late Miocene climate appears to remain too cold to produce assemblages of trees consistent with the data. The predicted modelled trends from the past to the present are in the right direction, but the amplitude remains too small. For the simulations to be in a better agreement with the data, higher CO 2 levels may be necessary in the climate simulations, or possibly other oceanic boundary conditions may be required, such as different bathymetry in the Panama seaway.

The Worth of Coppers

Microbiology The immense reach of microbial sequencing projects has outstripped the capacity of physiology (with its reliance on cultivatable organisms) and biochemistry (ditto for purified enzymes) to exploit these data sets—apart from exceptional efforts, of which the discovery of a fourth pathway for oxygen evolution by Ettwig et al. is the most recent. Using comparative bioinformatics and a bit of old-fashioned guesswork, Walker et al. provide a plausible picture of the lifestyle of the marine archeon Nitrosopumilus maritimus . It falls into a class of microbes that oxidize ammonia to hydroxylamine and thence to nitrite. Doing so yields hydrogen ions and electrons. Unlike ammonia-oxidizing bacteria that depend on heme(iron)-based proteins for the chemical and electron transfer reactions, Nitrosopumilus hews to a copper-based economy, encoding several varieties of multicopper oxidases and plastocyanin-like carriers. This apparent relief from a heavy dependence on iron, coupled to the high affinity of its ammonia monooxygenase and energy-efficient mode of carbon fixation, may account for its ecological success. Nature 464 , 543 (2010); Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 107 , 10.1073/pnas.0913533107 (2010).

Why are estimates of global terrestrial isoprene emissions so similar (and why is this not so for monoterpenes)?

Abstract. Emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) are a chief uncertainty in calculating the burdens of important atmospheric compounds like tropospheric ozone or secondary organic aerosol, reflecting either imperfect chemical oxidation mechanisms or unreliable emission estimates, or both. To provide a starting point for a more systematic discussion we review here global isoprene and monoterpene emission estimates to-date. We note a surprisingly small variation in the predictions of global isoprene emission rate that is in stark contrast with our lack of process understanding and the small number of observations for model parameterisation and evaluation. Most of the models are based on similar emission algorithms, using fixed values for the emission capacity of various plant functional types. In some cases, these values are very similar but differ substantially in other models. The similarities with regard to the global isoprene emission rate would suggest that the dominant parameters driving the ultimate global estimate, and thus the dominant determinant of model sensitivity, are the specific emission algorithm and isoprene emission capacity. But the models also differ broadly with regard to their representation of net primary productivity, method of biome coverage determination and climate data. Contrary to isoprene, monoterpene estimates show significantly larger model-to-model variation although variation in terms of leaf algorithm, emission capacities, the way of model upscaling, vegetation cover or climatology used in terpene models are comparable to those used for isoprene. From our summary of published studies there appears to be no evidence that the terrestrial modelling community has been any more successful in "resolving unknowns" in the mechanisms that control global isoprene emissions, compared to global monoterpene emissions. Rather, the proliferation of common parameterization schemes within a large variety of model platforms lends the illusion of convergence towards a common estimate of global isoprene emissions. This convergence might be used to provide optimism that the community has reached the "relief phase", the phase when sufficient process understanding and data for evaluation allows models' projections to converge, when applying a recently proposed concept. We argue that there is no basis for this apparent relief phase. Rather, we urge modellers to be bolder in their analysis, and to draw attention to the fact that terrestrial emissions, particularly in the area of biome-specific emission capacities, are unknown rather than uncertain.

Fluid seepage at the continental margin offshore Costa Rica and southern Nicaragua

A systematic search for methane‐rich fluid seeps at the seafloor was conducted at the Pacific continental margin offshore southern Nicaragua and northern central Costa Rica, a convergent margin characterized by subduction erosion. More than 100 fluid seeps were discovered using a combination of multibeam bathymetry, side‐scan sonar imagery, TV‐sled observations, and sampling. This corresponds, on average, to a seep site every 4 km along the continental slope. In the northwestern part of the study area, subduction of oceanic crust formed at the East Pacific Rise is characterized by pervasive bending‐induced faulting of the oceanic plate and a relatively uniform morphology of the overriding continental margin. Seepage at this part of the margin typically occurs at approximately cone‐shaped mounds 50 ‐ 100 m high and up to 1 km wide at the base. Over 60 such mounds were identified on the 240 km long margin segment. Some normal faults also host localized seepage. In contrast, in the southeast, the 220 km long margin segment overriding the oceanic crust formed at the Cocos‐Nazca Spreading Centre has a comparatively more irregular morphology caused mainly by the subduction of ridges and seamounts sitting on the oceanic plate. Over 40 seeps were located on this part of the margin. This margin segment with irregular morphology exhibits diverse seep structures. Seeps are related to landslide scars, seamount‐subduction related fractures, mounds, and faults. Several backscatter anomalies in side‐scan images are without apparent relief and are probably related to carbonate precipitation. Detected fluid seeps are not evenly distributed across the margin but occur in a roughly margin parallel band centered 28 ± 7 km landward of the trench. This distribution suggests that seeps are possibly fed to fluids rising from the plate boundary along deep‐penetrating faults through the upper plate.

Microbial composition and fecal fermentation end products from colicky infants - a probiotic supplementation pilot

Objectives: The etiology of infantile colic has remained unknown. The present study aimed to identify possible differences in the fecal microbial composition and metabolic end products between colicky and non-colicky infants and to examine whether an orally administered probiotic supplementation has any effect on the microbiota and relief in colicky symptoms. Subjects and methods: The study population consisted of nine colicky and nine non-colicky infants. Five colicky infants received probiotic supplementation ( Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus rhamnosus LC705, Bifidobacterium breve Bbi99, and Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. shermanii JS) and four colicky infants received placebo for 2 weeks. Fecal microbiota of all infants was studied by culture, cellular fatty acid (CFA) analysis, and gas and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production in 48 h fermentation. Microbial parameters and crying profiles were compared between the cases and controls at baseline and between the probiotic and placebo supplementation after 2 weeks. Results: Although SCFA and gas production and bacterial total counts were similar, the prevalence of indole-producing coliforms was significantly higher in colicky infants compared with controls (89% vs 33%), while many aerobic genera present in controls were not detected in colicky infants. CFA composition reflected the differences, since >2% of the CFAs were present exclusively in the colicky group. After probiotic supplementation, the total counts of anaerobic bacteria, especially lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, increased significantly. Fermentation parameters were not extensively affected; however, acetic and lactic acid production tended to increase and hydrogen production tended to decrease. No significant difference was observed in crying patterns between the probiotic and placebo group. Conclusion : The composition of the intestinal microbiota differs between colicky and noncolicky infants. Although no apparent relief in colicky symptoms was achieved, the probiotic supplementation seems to increase the bacterial diversity and strengthen the succession towards a balanced commensal gut microbiota. Key words: infantile colic, fecal bacteria, probiotics, colonization, SCFA

How Is Special Education Funded?: Issues and Implications for School Administrators

Special education enrollments, and consequently overall costs, continue to rise with no apparent relief in sight. To clarify the fiscal challenges con fronting local special education administrators today, this article provides background on how special education is funded in the United States and dis cusses trends in special education enrollments and spending and their impli cations for school leaders. It also offers strategies that local leaders might consider to better meet the needs of students with disabilities in the current environment of fiscal restraint and increased accountability.

Mine failure associated with a pressurized brine horizon; Retsof salt mine, western New York

Abstract The eventual loss of the Retsof Salt Mine from flooding was initiated on March 12, 1994 with a magnitude 3.6 earthquake, the collapse of a small-pillar panel, an initial inrush of brine and gas to the mine and a sustained inflow of fresh water. An examination of closure data for two mine panels involved in the inflow suggested an anomalous buildup of fluid pressure above the panels in the period leading up to their collapse. The initial brine and gas inflow immediately following the collapse coincided with the apparent relief of the excess pressure. The potential existence of a pre-collapse, pressurized, brine and gas pool above the panels was investigated through an analysis of nineteenth century solution mining data, a review of recent salt mine data, and an interpretation of geologic and geophysical data from post-collapse investigations. Published reports from the nineteenth century reveal that natural brine and gas pools existed in the region prior to mining. Correlation of gamma ray logs with geologic logs from contemporary drill holes and core holes provided a mechanism for interpreting the distribution of those natural brine pools. Our investigation indicated that natural gas and brine pools existed within Unit D of the Syracuse Formation approximately 160 ft above the mining horizon. Such brine accumulation apparently formed from the circulation of meteoric water through vertical discontinuities that were connected to overlying fresh water aquifers long before mining began in the valley in the late nineteenth century.

Effects of Stress Conditions and Calcium on the Light-induced Hydrogen Gas Exchange in Oscillatoria chalybea

Summary The flash-induced evolution of molecular hydrogen under various conditions of stress and stress-calcium interactions was followed by means of mass spectrometry in protoplasts from the filamentous, nonheterocystous cyanobacterium Oscillatoria chalybea . Osmotically equivalent levels of salinity and water stress inhibited the hydrogen signals approximately to the same level, indicating little difference between ionic (NaCl) and non-ionic (mannitol) osmotica. Consequently, the inhibition can be attributed rather to a water deficit stress than to a specific ionic effect. Heat shock at 45°C for 5 min dramatically decreased the hydrogen evolution signals compared with the maximum control recorded at 22°C. Chemical stress was imposed to the cyanobacteria by the application of a standard pyrethroid insecticide (deltamethrin) as an example for the impact of modern plant protective chemicals on plants. This insecticide, which has recently been shown to exert significant herbicidal activities (Bader and Schuler, 1996), substantially inhibited the cyanobacterial hydrogen gas exchange, even at very low applied concentrations (1–5 μmol/L). Although the installation of an anaerobic atmosphere is required by principle in order to observe a substantial reaction rate of proton reduction, we observed a strong further increase in hydrogen photoevolution with time. Thus, the effect that can be denominated ‘time-dependent increase’ (TDI) consisted of an enhancement up to about 400 % during the incubation time from 40 min to 120 min with continuous nitrogen flushing. We conclude that this increase might be correlated with the activation of hydrogenase or even a de novo synthesis of the enzyme. Generally, the time-dependent increase was higher under any of the investigated stress conditions than in the corresponding controls. Under stress conditions, we observed a stimulation of the normally relatively small dark evolution of molecular hydrogen from Oscillatoria chalybea and this effect was maximal in the case of salt stress. When we applied calcium ions to the assays suffering from a stress situation we observed an apparent relief, i.e. the absolute hydrogen evolution signals and also the ratios from the time dependent increase were enhanced depending on the concentration.

Accommodation during simulation of 3D visual space from stereoscopic pairs of 2D images

Under normal conditions, accommodation and convergence vary synkinetically and are dependent on object distance. In some situations, as when viewing stereoscopic pairs of images, this relationship may break down. The accommodation required to view the 2D images may differ from that normally associated with the convergence demanded by the local disparities in the images. Thus the additional convergence required to view the stereoscopic relief may stimulate inappropriate levels of accommodation. The present experiment looked for such accommodation change during the viewing of 1200″ disparity images of the TNO and Lang Stereotests, using a Canon R1 auto-refractor to measure the accommodation. Significant differences in mean accommodation were found when a group of 10 subjects viewed either the background or figure of the stereograms. These differences approximate to those appropriate to the apparent depth relief under the viewing conditions in use, for both crossed and uncrossed disparities.

Expression of adhesion molecules in rat renal cortex during experimental hydronephrosis

Unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) is associated with an early and steadily increasing infiltration of macrophages into the renal cortical interstitium. As adhesion molecules may play an important role in macrophage recruitment following the mechanical disturbance after UUO, we delineated the time course of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and vascular adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 mRNA and protein expression. A significant 6.6- (P < 0.001), 2.6- (P < 0.025), 2.6- (P < 0.01), and 2.0-fold (P < 0.005) increase in ICAM-1 mRNA expression was observed at 12, 24, 48, and 96 hours after obstruction, respectively, in comparison to the contralateral unobstructed kidney (CUK). Despite an apparent relief of obstruction, four weeks following reversal of obstruction mRNA levels of ICAM-1 remained equivalent to the 96-hour obstructed kidney group. No significant difference in VCAM-1 mRNA expression was observed between the obstructed kidneys and CUK specimens. Immunohistochemistry revealed focal labeling of ICAM-1 on the apical and basolateral surface of the renal tubules, peritubular interstitium, and vessels of the renal cortex by 12 hours after UUO. In contrast, only faint staining for ICAM-1 protein was observed in the cortex from CUK specimens. The obstructed and CUK specimens exhibited diffuse immunolocalization of VCAM-1 in the cortical tubules and Bowman's capsular epithelium. In situ hybridization showed mRNA transcription for ICAM-1 localized in the peritubular interstitium and cortical tubules from obstructed kidneys. To lend mechanistic insight into the response of ICAM-1 to the mechanical disturbance after UUO, the expression of ICAM-1 mRNA was examined when freshly isolated proximal tubules were exposed to angiotensin II (1 to 100 microM) immediately after preparation. Levels of ICAM-1 mRNA were elevated 1.4-, 7.1-, and 3.7-fold when exposed to 10 microM, 100 microM, and 1000 microM of angiotensin II for one hour, respectively, when compared to control cultures. The addition of losartan to proximal tubules for one hour prior to angiotensin II stimulation decreased ICAM-1 levels to control values. In summary, this investigation demonstrates that ICAM-1 is important in the initiation of macrophage recruitment into the renal cortex of the obstructed kidney. These findings provide evidence that angiotensin II, produced after ureteral ligation as a result of tubular injury and dysfunction, may play a central role in the release of ICAM-1 from the proximal tubule epithelial cells.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, controlled antigen delivery study of the onset of action of aerosolized triamcinolone acetonide nasal spray in subjects with ragweed-induced allergic rhinitis

BACKGROUND: Clinically apparent relief of nasal symptoms of allergic rhinitis is generally recognized to occur within 3 days to 1 week when intranasal corticosteroids are used. OBJECTIVE: A study was designed to evaluate the onset of action of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) in patients with ragweed-induced allergic rhinitis with an environmental exposure unit (EEU). METHODS: Eighty-five adults with ragweed-induced allergic rhinitis were primed with ragweed allergen in the EEU. Symptoms were recorded during a baseline exposure in the EEU, and subjects were randomized with a 5:1 ratio to receive either TA 400 μg ( n = 71) or its propellant ( n = 14). Subjects received study medication for 7 days under supervision in the morning and returned to the EEU in the evening for ragweed allergen challenge and symptom assessment. Clinically apparent onset of action was defined as a 25% decrease in symptom scores from baseline. RESULTS: A mean reduction in nasal congestion from baseline of greater than 25% (onset of action) was observed in the TA group, but not in the placebo group, by 10 hours. This was also observed for itching of the nose or palate and a combined measure of symptoms. In addition, the proportion of subjects with less nasal congestion after 1 day of treatment was greater in the TA group (41%) than in the placebo group (7%) ( p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The unexpected early relief of symptoms observed in the TA group and, to a lesser extent in the placebo group, has important clinical implications in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. (J A LLERGY C LIN I MMUNOL 1996;97:1050-7.)

Donne, Election, and the "Devotions upon Emergent Occasions"

As we all doubtless know, Devotions upon Emergent Occasions began as an account of spiritual self-combat that John Donne prepared for publication following a near fatal illness in December 1623. Scholars generally have read account of his tumultuous journey from sickness to health as a work of meditation in either Loyolan or Protestant tradition.1 This approach has entailed two basic assumptions: first, that persona is, like Donne himself, in N. J. C. Andreasen's words, an who hopes to make himself acceptable to God by means of a meditative experience organized as the psychological progression toward a fuller religious assent; and second, that progress of work therefore is speaker's preparation for grace, where Donne's rising from his bed at end of ordeal is no less than his spiritual resurrection. The same assumptions underlie Janel Mueller's observation that when Donne survived instead of succumbing ... to relapsing fever, this work changed direction away from a last spiritual testament and became a pledge of renewal and final confirmation in his calling. The speaker's apparent relief regarding physical recovery is described as parallel to growing feelings of peace and confidence in both his election and his calling.2 The assumption that Devotions represents an upward movement toward God by Donne as an Everyman remains at center of scholarship on work, but predominance of meditative traditionwhether Ignatian or Protestant-has in fact limited interpretation. Rather than representing an Everyman who undergoes an experience common

Light source position in the perception of object shape.

The apparent relief of monocularly viewed surfaces reversed when the order of light and shade was reversed relative to the position of a lamp observed the moment earlier. The pattern of shading was reversed either by illuminating from a direction opposite to that of the apparent direction of illumination or by inverting the illuminating image relative to the light source. The combination of both of these manipulations restores the original juxtaposition of light source and shading and reestablished accurate perception of relief. These results demonstrate that the perception of the relief of physical surfaces depends upon the remembered position of an apparent light source.