Fast In Situ Observation of Atomic Feshbach Resonances by Photoassociative Ionization.

We propose and experimentally investigate a scheme for observing Feshbach resonances in atomic quantum gases in situ and with a high temporal resolution of several tens of nanoseconds. The method is based on the detection of molecular ions, which are optically generated from atom pairs at small interatomic distances. As a test system we use a standard rubidium gas (^{87}Rb) with well known magnetically tunable Feshbach resonances. The fast speed and the high sensitivity of our detection scheme allows us to observe a complete Feshbach resonance within one millisecond and without destroying the gas.

Efimov Resonance and Three-Body Parameter in a Lithium-Rubidium Mixture.

We study collisional heating in a cold ^{7}Li-^{87}Rb mixture near a broad Feshbach resonance at 661 G. At the high field slope of the resonance, we find an enhanced three-body recombination rate that we interpret as a heteronuclear Efimov resonance. With improved Feshbach spectroscopy of two further resonances, a model for the molecular potentials has been developed that now consistently explains all known Feshbach resonances of the various Li-Rb isotope mixtures. The model is used to determine the scattering length of the observed Efimov state. Its value of -1870a_{0} Bohr radii supports the currently discussed assumption of universality of the three-body parameter also in heteronuclear mixtures.

Interleukin-4-independent acceleration of cutaneous leishmaniasis in susceptible BALB/c mice following treatment with anti-CTLA4 antibody.

BALB/c mice are susceptible to progressive infection with Leishmania major due to the preferential development of CD4(+) T cells that secrete Th2 cytokines. Although Th2 cell development and susceptibility are disrupted by blockade of CD86 function early in infection, CD28-deficient BALB/c mice remain susceptible to leishmaniasis. We therefore examined whether the alternative CD86 ligand, CTLA4, contributes to the expression of susceptibility. BALB/c mice treated for 2 weeks of infection with anti-CTLA4 monoclonal antibody developed more rapidly progressive disease than sham-treated mice, whereas normally resistant C57BL/6 mice were unaffected. The draining lymph node cells of anti-CTLA4-treated BALB/c mice produced up to sixfold more interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-13 than control mice in the first 2 weeks of infection, but IFN-gamma synthesis was reciprocally decreased. Anti-CTLA4 treatment of BALB/c mice pretreated with neutralizing anti-IL-4 antibody or genetically deficient in IL-4 also caused significant worsening of leishmaniasis. Exacerbation in IL-4 KO mice was associated with increased IL-13 and decreased gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression in vivo. These data indicate that anti-CTLA4 antibody induced earlier and more-polarized Th2 responses in susceptible BALB/c mice infected with L. major. The mechanism of disease worsening was partially IL-4 independent, indicating that increased IL-13 and/or decreased IFN-gamma production may have disrupted nitric oxide-based microbicidal responses. We conclude that CTLA4 significantly modulates Th2 development in murine leishmaniasis and that the Th2-polarizing effects of anti-CTLA4 treatment result in IL-4-independent exacerbation of disease.

Increased capacity for interleukin-2 synthesis parallels disease progression in mice infected with Leishmania major.

Lymph node cells of BALB/c mice with progressive leishmaniasis produced sixfold more interleukin-2 (IL-2) in culture than those of healing C57BL/6 mice. IL-2 synthesis also increased in C57BL/6 mice made susceptible by IL-12 or gamma interferon deficiency. However, IL-2 mRNA levels in vivo did not reflect IL-2 production in vitro. Because IL-2 contributes to the pathogenesis of progressive leishmaniasis, the functional significance of these findings should be further explored.

Identification and molecular cloning of a 67-kilodalton protein in Schistosoma japonicum homologous to a family of actin-binding proteins.

A monoclonal antibody to Schistosoma japonicum which conferred significant protection against cercarial challenge in mice was produced. The predicted translation product of the cDNA corresponding to the antigen recognized by this antibody was homologous to a newly identified family of actin-binding proteins. The expressed protein bound polymerized actin and was recognized by serum from patients infected with S. japonicum.

Success or survival. Redeploying strategic assets to maximize their value.

As capital sources dry up, hospitals should consider restructuring their finances to maximize the value of current assets, to achieve greater cost efficiency, and to fund new businesses and services that will generate new revenues. Strategic asset redeployment consists of analyzing assets; plans for new business development, equipment, and real estate acquisitions; and the impact on the budget. Hospitals are leasing more frequently to finance new equipment and property, but they are also looking at existing equipment and property to determine whether refinancing through a sale/leaseback makes sense. Also, before a hospital decides to offer a costly new service, such as magnetic resonance imaging, an impartial analysis should first determine the market for and the financial feasibility of the service. Once a service is determined to be viable, the term of the financing should match the life span of the project.

Act now to maximize Medicare payments for capital.

Anticipating a change in the way Medicare pays for capital costs, healthcare organizations should evaluate their capital expenditure plans. To maximize payments under the current system, they should create an equipment acquisition plan that brings the greatest capital costs during the equipment's early life. They then should determine a cost allocation method that assigns the greatest allowable capital costs to Medicare.

Leasing equipment minimizes capital investment.

As consumers continue to demand the most advanced technology at the lowest cost, healthcare organizations are turning to leasing as a way of acquiring equipment with a minimum amount of capital investment. Institutions considering leasing should determine their balance sheet constraints, compare the relative costs of debt financing and leasing, and assess the residual value of the equipment at the end of its use. Comparing potential lessors requires careful analysis of rate structures and the capability of the companies to commit to a contract promptly.

Sex differences in the perception of touching.

Sex differences in the perception of touching were investigated by having 25 male and 25 female college students rate how likeable a touch would be under different conditions. The women produced a more favorable affect than the men when they touched, and women were perceived as liking to be touched more than men. Perception of touching in general was correlated positively with Self-esteem for men, negatively with Machiavellianism for women, and positively with Trust for women. Results were discussed in terms of traditional sex-typing of touching behavior.

Role of sex identification in perception of a social blunder.

4 groups of subjects observed an interaction between a male and a female on videotape: in one interaction the male blundered, in another the female blundered, and there were two control conditions in which the interaction was not followed by a blunder. Results indicated an effect of sex identification; the male blunderer was derogated most by male subjects (n = 34) and the female most by female subjects (n = 34).